Giolito gets back on track, but White Sox fall to Angels
After his last start, a miserable effort against the Blue Jays Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field, Lucas Giolito looked in the mirror and spoke the truth.
"I'm just not doing my job in between the lines," he said. "There's no excuse for how I've been performing."
Back on the mound for the White Sox Monday night against the Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Giolito was looking to halt a slide that saw the right-hander go 1-3 with a 9.47 ERA over his last five starts.
After a rough beginning, Giolito settled down and got back on track.
In the Sox's 4-3 loss to Los Angeles at Angel Stadium, Giolito pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk. He also had 6 strikeouts.
It was a tough setback for the White Sox, who trailed 2-0 early but jumped in front 3-2 on RBI doubles from Andrew Vaughn and Jose Abreu in the sixth inning and Josh Harrison's run-scoring single in the seventh.
The Sox could have had more in the seventh inning but Seby Zavala was thrown out at second base on Harrison's single after making a big turn and trying to advance to third.
With two outs in the second inning, Brandon Marsh's RBI triple off the glove of right fielder Gavin Sheets gave the Angels the lead. Marsh scored on Andrew Velazquez's infield single that hit Giolito in the foot.
Taylor Ward's 2-run double off reliever Reynaldo Lopez in the seventh put Los Angeles on top to stay and stuck the White Sox (34-38) with their fifth loss in six games.
The Sox's offense has been scuffling again, and a lack of pop from the left side of the plate has been a glaring problem.
Switch-hitting third baseman Yoan Moncada can help solve the issue Tuesday night against Los Angeles, when he's expected to come off the injured list and be back in the starting lineup.
Moncada strained his right hamstring during a June 17 game against the Astros. In the previous game, he was 5-for-6 with 5 RBI against the Tigers.
"That could be an important lift for us," manager Tony La Russa said. "It would be nice to get Yoan in there, get some muscle in the middle of that lineup."
Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin is going to miss the three-game series against the White Sox for his actions in Sunday's brawl with Seattle.
Nevin was suspended 10 games after relief pitcher Andrew Wantz intentionally hit Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker, which ignited the fight. Wantz will also sit out the series v. the Sox after drawing a three-game suspension.
The White Sox opened their six-game West Coast trip after beating the Orioles at home Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak.
"You've got to start somewhere," La Russa said. "Hard to win when you've been losing. Hard. But just have to get ready for the next series."