Lucas Giolito Tosses Season’s First No-Hitter
On Tuesday night, Lucas Giolito joined the record books by throwing a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On Tuesday, Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito threw the season’s first no-hitter, blanking the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 on just 101 pitches.
Giolito, 26, knew he was going to dominate from the first inning on. He got in a groove early and stayed in it. As the game went on, he realized he had a chance to make history and he wanted to make it happen.
Giolito could not have done this without the help of his defense. Shortstop Tim Anderson made a great play to his right in the seventh. First baseman Jose Abreu scooped multiple throws in the dirt to keep the no-hitter intact.
The final out of the game was the closest the young right-hander came to giving up a hit. Right fielder Adam Engel snagged a line drive out of the air to end the game and start a celebration.
Giolito only walked one batter. He struck out 13. His fastball and changeup were contrasting to form a dominant combination. He became the seventh pitcher in over 100 seasons to throw a no-hitter with at least 13 strikeouts and just one walk, joining Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Matt Cain, Randy Johnson, and Sandy Koufax.
His 30 swings-and-misses were the second most in a no-hitter since Tom Browning in 1988.
This was the franchise’s 19th no-hitter in franchise history, second to only the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Giolito was an All-Star and came in sixth for the 2019 American League Cy Young award. However, two years ago he was far from this good. In 2018, he had a 6.13 ERA in just 32 starts, the worst of any pitcher to qualify for the ERA title.
Through seven starts this season, he is 3-2 with a 3.09 ERA, striking out 58 batters over 43 2/3 innings. This could be a huge turning point in his season.
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His no-hitter is a prime example of why a team would not want to face the Chicago White Sox in the postseason.