Lucas No-hit-o-lito: Giolito throws first no hitter of 2020
Last night, Lucas Giolito threw the first no hitter of the 2020 season. There is a good chance this is the only no hitter this season. Giolito did it in dominating fashion. He struck out 13 Pirates, walked only 1, and accomplished this all in 101 pitches. He made Pirates hitters look silly all night. Giolito got 30 swings\ and miss strikes, six groundball outs, and five flyball outs. The only hard hit ball came on the final out of the game when Erik González hit a 106.6 MPH line drive that was caught by Adam Engel in right field to end the game.
The final out of Giolito’s no-hitter!
(Via @whitesox)
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) August 26, 2020
It was a very tough catch to make on a sinking line drive, but Engel was up to the test. Ultimately, it ended the 19th no hitter in White Sox history and the first since Philip Humber’s perfect game in 2012.
Giolito’s Career Path
Lucas Giolito was not always the ace he is now. He was once the top pitching prospect in all of baseball while in the Nationals system, but was traded to the White Sox for Adam Eaton. It was not until last season did the White Sox start seeing dividends from Giolito. In 2018, he had a 6.13 ERA which was the highest among qualified starters. He was certainly looking like a major bust. However, in 2019, he started to turn his career around. He was selected to the all-star team and a 3.41 ERA. Giolito made some strategy changes; he moved away from his sinker and started to pound fastballs at the top of the zone. He also changed where he stood on the mound. Both of these changes have allowed Giolito to improve greatly.
Final Thoughts
The White Sox are a really fun and entertaining team to watch. With the emergence of Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert, the White Sox are starting to shift the power balance in the AL Central. They are 18-12 with the playoffs in sight, and still have 14 combined games against the Royals, Pirates, and Tigers. Giolito will anchor the rotation down the stretch and look to lead them throughout the playoffs.
-Pete Chatterton (@Pchat12)