In a game that featured a power surge at the stadium, Lucas Giolito was lights out tonight against Pittsburgh. Needing just 101 pitches yet still striking out 13 batters, Giolito threw the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history.
It was smooth sailing to start the game for Giolito, only taking 33 pitches to get through the first three innings. To start the fourth inning, Erik Gonzalez for Pittsburgh led it off with a four-pitch walk. Giolito couldn't locate his fastball missing inside and low in the zone against Gonzalez, and he looked mortal for the first time. He steered the first fastball he threw to Adam Frazier over the plate, but all Frazier could muster was a high pop out to Anderson in shallow left field.
After those inefficient five pitches, Giolito got back on track by striking out Bryan Reynolds. On a 0-2 count, Josh Bell hit a line drive with an exit velocity of 106.6 mph and an expected batting average of .800. Instead of finding itself in the outfield grass for a single, the White Sox had shifted Yoan Moncada to the right spot to catch the hard-hit ball ending the inning.
It seems that every no-hitter has that one spectacular defensive play preserving the historical achievement like Dewayne Wise's catch to save Mark Buehrle's perfect game. For this no-hitter, the moment belongs to Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu.
Anderson was shifted on the left side of second base when Reynolds hit a slicing looper that fell short of leaving the infield. Moving to his right, Anderson's athleticism allowed him to field the ball and throw on the run, although his dart short-hopped Abreu.
In what might be his best year defensively, the veteran first baseman stretched out and scooped Anderson's throw just a step ahead of Reynolds for the second out.
Following up that great defensive play, Giolito struck out Bell on three pitches.
Whatever pressure Giolito was feeling wasn't noticeable. The eighth inning was another breeze, as he struck out two more and went 1-2-3 on just 13 pitches. Heading into the ninth with a 4-0 lead, Giolito's first pitch to Jarrod Dyson missed high -- so high that McCann had to jump up and catch it before the changeup sailed to the backstop. Maybe it was nerves that caused that errant pitch and why Giolito was quickly down in the count 2-0 to Dyson.
After nailing the inside corner low with a fastball for strike one, Giolito got Dyson to whiff on back-to-back changeups for strikeout 13, tying his career high for a second straight start.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton pinch-hit Jose Osuna for catcher John Ryan Murphy. McCann called for two sliders to start the at-bat, which was the right move as Osuna whiffed on both. Trying to get Osuna to chase, Giolito's third slider in the at-bat sailed out of the zone for a ball.
Often in this night, we'd see either a changeup or high fastball to punch out the hitter, but McCann called for a fourth slider. Osuna made contact hitting a high fly ball down the right-field line. Abreu and Danny Mendick gave chase looking over their shoulders to find the ball, but it was Adam Engel who made the catch into foul territory for the second out.
It was Gonzalez's turn again to face Giolito, who was the only baserunner Giolito allowed with a four-pitch walk back in the fourth inning. Using the same strategy against Osuna, McCann called for back-to-back sliders. Gonzalez chased both pitches and was down 0-2 in the count. Needing just one more strike to complete the no-hitter, McCann called for a high fastball.
Giolito missed his spot. Instead of at the letters, his 96-mph fastball found the heart of the plate. It also found Gonzalez's barrel, resulting in a a line drive to right field. Traveling at an exit velocity of 102.6 mph, it appeared for a moment that it was going to find turf and spoil the no-hitter.
It maybe wasn't as daring as Anderson's defensive save, but Engel had a terrific jump. With a hawk-like focus, he grabbed the baseball in mid-flight, completing the historical moment.
Game Notes:
- Lucas Giolito is the first White Sox pitcher since Phillip Humber back in 2012 to throw a no-hitter.
- Offensively, the White Sox did put up four runs with three of them coming in the second inning. That's when the power surge hit Guaranteed Rate Field knocking out the television feed.
- Luis Robert went 3-for-4.
- Jose Abreu didn't hit a home run, which after last week is newsworthy, but he came awfully close in the fourth inning. His flyout had an exit velocity of 107.5 mph but only traveled 339 feet falling short of the left field wall.
Record: 18-12 | Box Score | Video
(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)
