Lucas Giolito has made a disastrous debut with the Guardians in a pivotal divisional game that originally aired on NBC Sports Chicago
The third chapter of a whirlwind 2023 season is off to a brutal start for former Chicago White Sox CEO Lucas Giolito.
After being dealt to the Los Angeles Angels ahead of the MLB trade deadline along with Reynaldo Lopez, the two pitchers were jointly claimed by the Cleveland Guardians after a rough August derailed the Halos’ hopes of vying for a playoff spot.
The Guardians are on a last-ditch effort by taking over the right-handers in an effort to bolster their pitching staff while trailing the 1st-place Minnesota Twins in the AL Central by five games.
A three-game set in Cleveland against the Twins gives the Guardians a golden opportunity to make up ground, with Giolito making his Cleveland debut in Monday’s series opener.
Unfortunately for Gio and Cleveland fans, the Guardians’ debut was a disaster.
In three innings of work, Giolito was tagged for seven hits and nine earned runs by the Twins offense, resulting in three free passes, while also striking out three.
Among the damage to Giolito was a grand slam by Royce Lewis in the second inning that broke open the game and gave Minnesota a 6–0 lead.
Giolito also surrendered roundtrippers to Jorge Polanco and Carlos Correa, likely taking the Guardians out of a game critical to the club’s chances of clinching a playoff spot.
The rough outing pushes Giolito’s ERA for the season up to 4.88.
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