Chicago White Sox starter Lucas Giolito’s best outing in a month — including back-to-back strikeouts of Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the fifth inning
Went to waste in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in front of 21,973 on Monday at Angel Stadium.
The Sox took the lead in the top of the seventh, only to give it away in the bottom of the inning as they began a six-game trip on a sour note.
“In position to win a game, it breaks your heart not to hold it for (Giolito),” manager Tony La Russa said.
Taylor Ward put the Angels ahead with a two-run double against reliever Reynaldo López. The Sox have lost five of six.
Giolito allowed two runs on six hits with six strikeouts and one walk in six innings, fanning Trout and Ohtani twice apiece.
“My overall confidence wasn’t shaken,” Giolito said. “I’m not going to sit here and say everything is great and everything is perfect and I’m going to go out and dominate every start.
Anything can happen. It was very frustrating to get into bad habits and allow myself to perform the way I’ve performed for multiple starts in a row.
“But my job as a starter is to go out there and take the ball and give us a chance to win. I’m pleased I did that (Monday).
Not pleased we lost the game, but it’s how it goes sometimes. I’m just going to continue to put in the work and lock in these adjustments.”
The two runs he surrendered came in a strange sequence. Brandon Marsh hit a long fly to right in the second.
Sox right fielder Gavin Sheets raced near the short wall and briefly had the ball in his glove, but it popped out.
At first glance, it appeared to bounce off the top of the wall, hit a fan and then bounce back into play. It was originally ruled a two-run homer.