White Sox 6, Tigers 1: Lucas Giolito’s 10th win is team’s 50th

Lucas Giolito is up to 10 wins this season.

Better yet, he’s been deserving them.

Giolito had one of his best starts of the season tonight, allowing just three hits and a walk over seven one-run innings. The Sox gave him early support, and Giolito spent just about the entire game unthreatened.

Giolito after the game said he commanded his fastball as well as he has all season, and it showed. He threw 76 of 106 pitches for strikes, including 33 of his 41 four-seam fastballs that averaged 94 mph. He also went to his changeup early and often. He threw it more often (19) than his curveball (16), and got five swinging strikes on it.

He only suffered damage in the second inning, when Mikie Mahtook took a first-pitch fastball down the middle, then jumped on a second one for a solo shot.

Giolito didn’t make that mistake again, and he also received plenty of support.

When Jose Rondon was thrown out at third trying to stretch an RBI double into an RBI triple as the second batter of the game, it was a discouraging omen for a team that can’t afford to throw away baserunners, yet has been doing it with regularity, anyway.

But nope, the Sox kept tacking on against lefty Ryan Carpenter.

In the second, Kevan Smith followed up Yoan Moncada’s single with his first homer of the season, a blast well over the wall in left. He was wearing “Webby” on his back during Players’ Weekend in honor of the late Daniel Webb, and he pointed to the sky as he touched home plate.

In the third, the Sox strung together four consecutive successful plate appearances for two more runs. Daniel Palka singled with one out, then moved to third on Matt Davidson’s first double of the game. Yoan Moncada’s grounder to the left side got past Jeimer Candelario for a run-scoring infield single, and Ryan LaMarre’s sac fly scored Davidson to make it 5-0.

Davidson’s second double of the game pushed the game to its final score.

Record: 50-79 | Box score

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Malkatraz

Those were some nasty changups.

Trooper Galactus

Just curious, but wouldn’t it make sense to trade Welington Castillo to the Brewers? Yeah, he can’t help them in the playoffs, but he could be an upgrade for them for the stretch run in September and they don’t look like they have any better options on their roster or available in their system for next season (though Nottingham’s been pretty good in AAA this season). I’m assuming he’s cleared waivers at this point and can be freely dealt.

5742mail

Why haven’t they shut down Avi, since he needs knee surgery?

asinwreck

Giolito is fascinating. Sometimes frustrating, sometimes terrifying, but fascinating.

roke1960

Giolito, like Moncada, are two of the keys to the rebuild. They were the two keys to the first big trades of the rebuild. There are reasons why they were the centerpieces to those trades. If they can realize their vast potential, they will both be all-stars. I think they both make giant strides next year.

GreatjonHumber

Lucas’ fastball velocity chart for the year is interesting. He complained about the cold affecting his grip, maybe affected his velocity a lot.

https://www.fangraphs.com/graphs.aspx?playerid=15474&position=P&pitchgraphs=true&statArr=&legend=1&split=base&time=daily&start=2018&end=2018&rtype=mult&gt1=15&dStatArray=FA&ymin=&ymax=