Lucas Giolito pitched the first no-hitter of this shortened and delayed season by the pandemic, in the game the Chicago White Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 on Tuesday night.
Giolito struck out 13 and allowed only one enemy to reach base.
In front of an empty grandstand at Guaranteed Rate Field, it was the euphoric shouts of Giolito’s teammates that echoed as right fielder Adam Engel caught Erik Gonzalez’s fly ball down the line to make the final out.
“I have worked for this type of game for a long time, and it is very nice to finally achieve it,” commented Giolito (3-2).
The 26-year-old pitcher was selected to the All-Star Game last year. In his previous start against Detroit, he had struck out the highest number of his career.
This time he called it, with the dressing of the no-hitter.
A four-pitch walk to Gonzalez early in the fourth inning was the only thing that deprived Giolito of a perfect game.
The right-hander threw 101 pitches and provided a swift job against the Pirates, who came into the game hitting just .229 on the season. Pittsburgh is the worst team in the major leagues.
The White Sox raced to the mound to celebrate with Giolito, who had never had a no-hitter before. The pitcher hugged catcher James McCann.
Giolito knew he was about to pull off a feat when he got into the closing innings.
“After the seventh, I thought I had six more outs to go. I looked at who I had to face, and it seemed to me that it was possible, “he said. “Fortunately I was able to do it.”
Giolito said he tried never to waver.
“I just wanted to keep the same mindset on every pitch. Make one pitch at a time, with total concentration on the execution and on the target, ”he commented.
Giolito posted the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history and the first since Philip Humber had a perfect game in Seattle (2012).
It was the seventh time the Pirates have gone double zero. It hadn’t happened to them since 2015, when Max Scherzer from Washington beat them. The loss went to Steven Brault (0-1). (GG) (Taken from MLB.COM)