Giolito no-hits Pirates as White Sox keep rolling

[August 26, 2020]  Right-hander Lucas Giolito pitched the 19th no-hitter in Chicago White Sox franchise history on Tuesday night, striking out 13 and walking one to boost Chicago to a 4-0 victory against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.

Giolito retired the final 18 Pirates he faced as the White Sox won for the eighth time in nine games and snapped Pittsburgh's season-high three-game winning streak.

Chicago right fielder Adam Engel snagged a liner off the bat of Pirates shortstop Erik Gonzalez to end the game, as the White Sox recorded their first no-hitter since Philip Humber threw a perfect game in a 4-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on April 21, 2012.

Giolito threw 74 of his 101 pitches for strikes.

"After the seventh ... it became very, very, very possible [in my mind], and we were able to get it done," Giolito said.

Giolito (3-2) hadn't lasted more than seven innings in any of his previous six starts this year, but he struck out 13 Tigers in a win over Detroit on Thursday in his most recent outing.

Giolito (3-2) pitched a seven-inning no-hitter for Triple-A Charlotte in the opener of a doubleheader in May 2017, but Tuesday easily marked his advanced degree in the majors.
 

Giolito walked Gonzalez on four pitches to lead off the fourth, and it proved to be the Pirates' only baserunner. After the walk, Giolito induced a pop out, got a strikeout swinging, and finished the inning when Josh Bell lined out sharply to White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada.

A power surge in the bottom of the second inning temporarily left Guaranteed Rate Field without power, while preventing television viewers from seeing the entirety of the White Sox rally in the frame.

White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (27) throws the baseball in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

The White Sox scored three runs in the inning, which included RBI singles from Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez. Chicago added a run in the fourth as catcher James McCann, Giolito's batterymate, contributed a sacrifice fly.

Rookie Luis Robert notched his second game with at least three hits in his 27-game career.

Pittsburgh left-hander Steven Brault (0-1) surrendered his first runs as a starter in five starts this season. Brault allowed four runs on five hits in three innings with four walks and zero strikeouts.

Making his Pirates debut, right-hander Nick Tropeano followed with four innings of three-hit, four-strikeout relief. Perhaps the biggest adversity Tropeano encountered came as he warmed up in the bullpen, as a wayward return throw from the bullpen catcher appeared to graze the top of his head.

--Field Level Media

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