Boston's Lucas Giolito beats Nationals in his return to Washington
The right-hander threw 7 2/3 innings in his first career outing against the team that drafted him, allowing one run in Boston's 11-2 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Giolito gave up four hits while striking out seven to earn his first victory at Nationals Park, an experience that was tinged with little sentimentality.
'Not really,' Giolito said. 'It's so long ago. Nine, 10 years ago I debuted here. I was definitely excited to come back because it's been so long … I'm not facing any of the same guys. It's a different team now.'
Giolito, Washington's first-round pick in 2012, reached the majors in 2016 and posted a 6.75 ERA in six appearances that season. But he hadn't faced the Nationals since they dealt him to the Chicago White Sox the following December as part of a package of prospects for outfielder Adam Eaton, who helped Washington win the World Series in 2019.
'I pitched very different back then — very long arm action,' Giolito said. 'I think every baseball player's career, you have your ups and downs, you have your trials and tribulations, highs and lows, however you want to put it. It's been a long road. I look forward to many more, even the downs. When you come back from those, it's probably more satisfying than being good all the time.'
Giolito went on to pitch seven seasons with the White Sox, with stops with the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland late in the 2023 season before missing all of last year after elbow surgery.
A hamstring strain kept the 30-year-old out until April 30 this season, and he surrendered at least six runs in three of his first seven starts. But in five outings since June 10, he is 4-0 with an 0.83 ERA. In that span, he has lowered his ERA from 6.42 to 3.66.
He was sharp against the Nationals, scattering four hits and three walks while throwing a season-high 108 pitches in his longest outing since Aug. 9, 2021.
'He didn't want to come out,' manager Alex Cora said. 'I appreciate that. He's a competitor. He feels like the more pitches he throws, the better it is for him.'
___
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
37 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Astros' Altuve homers twice, drives in five and gets booed in 18-1 historic rout of Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — Jose Altuve homered twice while reaching base five times and driving in five runs, and the Houston Astros routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 18-1 on Friday night in the series opener of a matchup between division leaders. The defending World Series champion Dodgers were held to five hits and Will Smith's solo homer in the team's worst loss in Dodger Stadium history.
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Astros' Altuve homers twice, drives in five and gets booed in 18-1 historic rout of Dodgers
Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jose Altuve homered twice while reaching base five times and driving in five runs, and the Houston Astros routed the Los Angeles Dodgers 18-1 on Friday night in the series opener of a matchup between division leaders. The defending World Series champion Dodgers were held to five hits and Will Smith's solo homer in the team's worst loss in Dodger Stadium history. The AL West-leading Astros scored 10 runs in the sixth, highlighted by Victor Caratini's grand slam and Altuve's three-run shot. It was the most runs given up in an inning by the Dodgers since April 23, 1999, when they allowed 11 to St. Louis. Houston's Lance McCullers Jr. (2-3) allowed one run and four hits in six innings of his second start since returning from a sprained right foot. He struck out four. Isaac Paredes hit his first career leadoff homer on the first pitch of the game from rookie Ben Casparius. Altuve doubled and scored on Walker's RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Jake Meyers doubled beading off the third and scored on Altuve's 14th homer. Rookie Cam Smith doubled and scored on Walker's 417-foot shot halfway up the left-field pavilion to cap four straight hits given up by Casparius and extend Houston's lead to 6-1. The Astros broke it open in the sixth. Smith had a bases-loaded RBI single, reliever Noah Davis hit Walker with two strikes to force in a run and Caratin hit his grand slam came with no outs. Meyers added an RBI single and Altuve hit his second homer of the night. Caparius allowed six runs and nine hits in three innings and struck out three. Dodgers fans relentlessly booed Altuve throughout his at-bats, chanting 'Cheater! Cheater!' He's one of two players, along with McCullers, remaining from Houston's 2017 team that beat the Dodgers in the World Series. It later came out that the Astros were stealing signs with the help of video and relaying pitches to batters by banging on a trash can. Key moment Ohtani hit a 96-mph line drive off the left heel of McCullers in the third. The ball flew up and was caught by shortstop Mauricio Dubon, with the umpire signaling Ohtani out on the rare 1-6 putout. Key stat Cooper Hummel's pinch-hit single in the fifth snapped a streak of 12 1/3 hitless innings by the Dodgers bullpen. Up next Astros LHP Framber Valdez (9-4, 2.72 ERA) starts Saturday. Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 2.25) will throw two innings as the opener on his 31st birthday. ___ AP MLB: recommended
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers' pitchers get torched during historic lopsided loss to hated Astros
They are two long-time Dodger villains, hated for two vastly different reasons. As the last remaining position player from the Houston Astros' trash-can-banging, and (in the eyes of most Dodgers fans) World Series-stealing 2017 championship team, Jose Altuve always receives a rude welcome from the fans at Chavez Ravine. As one of the most productive visiting players in Dodger Stadium history, Christian Walker often shuts them up. In the Houston Astros' 18-1 Independence Day rout on Friday, both added another tortured chapter to the Dodgers' history against the team. Altuve went three-for-three with a double, two home runs, two walks and five RBIs. Walker went four-for-five with one long ball and four RBIs. On a day starting pitcher Ben Casparius once again struggled (giving up six runs in three innings), reliever Noah Davis gave up 10 runs in the sixth inning alone (the most the Dodgers had surrendered in one inning since 1999), and most of a sold-out crowd stuck around for every painful minute (waiting in somber silence for a postgame fireworks show), that was plenty to lift the surging Astros to most lopsided defeat the Dodgers have ever suffered at Dodger Stadium. Six weeks ago, the retooled Astros were one game above .500 and 3 ½ games out of first place in the American League West; seemingly missing the other 2017 stars who have departed the franchise since their sign-stealing scandal came to light five years ago. But now, they have won 27 of their last 37, own the second-best record in the AL, and are suddenly looking like unlikely title contenders; even after turning over almost the entirety of the roster from that infamous 2017 season. 'Certainly, there's been some history with our organizations,' manager Dave Roberts said pregame when asked if any lingering feelings remained from the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. 'But if you look at it in reality, most of those guys are gone. So it certainly doesn't have any bearing on this series this weekend.' Instead, in their most lopsided loss of the season, the Dodgers had bigger concerns to worry about Friday, with Altuve and Walker at the top of the list. Altuve received his typical reception from the Dodgers faithful, serenaded with booming boos and loud chants of 'cheater' during each of his at-bats. However, he followed Isaac Paredes' leadoff homer in the first with a double off the wall. He took Casparius deep for a two-run home run on a curveball in the third. He added an exclamation point with a three-run homer in the Astros' 10-run sixth — the most runs the Dodgers (56-33) had allowed in one inning since Fernando Tatis' historic two grand slam inning in April 1999 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Walker was every bit as dangerous. A 34-year-old slugger who dominated the Dodgers (and, most confoundingly, Clayton Kershaw in particular) during an eight-year career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Walker was already emerging from an early-season slump in his first year with the Astros (53-25) entering this weekend's series. Then, back in the friendly confines of Dodger Stadium, he orchestrated a monster performance of his own from the five-spot of the Houston order. In his first at-bat, Walker plated Altuve with a single the other way. Then, two batters after Altuve's big fly in the third, Casparius left a fastball down the middle that Walker whacked for his 28th career home run against the Dodgers — and 20th at Dodger Stadium. Only nine other players have hit that many home runs as visitors at the ballpark during their careers, a list that includes Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Mike Schmidt and Willie Stargell, as well as Barry Bonds. Walker also made a contribution in the sixth-inning onslaught. After Davis gave up one run on two singles and two walks, the recently called-up right-hander plunked Walker with the bases loaded to force in another score, losing his grip on an 0-and-2 sweeper that left him visibly rattled on the mound. Sensing Davis' frustration, Roberts came to the bump for a motivational pep-talk; eliciting memories of the mid-game hug he delivered to journeyman reliever Yohan Ramirez last season in Cincinnati. This time, however, the mound visit had little effect. In the next at-bat, Davis threw a hanging sweeper that Victor Caratini belted for a grand slam. What was already a laugher became a full-fledged Fourth of July disaster.
