Giolito Gets 1st Big League Win As White Sox Beat Tigers 7-1
By SARAH TROTTO, Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Fourteen months after his major league debut, Lucas Giolito finally earned his first victory.
He threw seven scoreless innings to reach the milestone, and Matt Davidson hit a three-run homer to help the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 7-1 on Sunday.
"It's a huge relief. Last year didn't go the way I wanted it to," said Giolito, who went 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in six appearances last season with Washington. "Now I get the opportunity back up here again, I just want to take that opportunity and do everything I can to take advantage of it."
Giolito (1-1) limited the Tigers to three hits in his second start with the White Sox after they acquired him in a December trade with the Nationals for outfielder Adam Eaton. The right-hander had never pitched past the sixth in five previous major league starts.
"We did a good job of filling up the strike zone with honestly all four of my pitches," Giolito said.
Yolmer Sanchez had three hits for the White Sox, who have won four of five and took two of three from Detroit.
Ian Kinsler hit his 14th home run for the Tigers, who lost for the 16th time in 21 games.
Matthew Boyd (5-8) allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings. He was 0-2 with a 10.19 ERA in five previous appearances this month and made some mechanical adjustments before Sunday's start. Boyd has given up 16 earned runs in 20 innings against Chicago this season.
"It wasn't perfect, but I liked what I saw," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "The simplification of his delivery will work well moving forward."
Giolito struck out four to match his career high and recorded his first quality start.
"He wasn't one of these young pitchers that comes up throwing 95 to 97 mph," Ausmus said. "He hit 92, 93, but he pitched. He did a nice job."
Davidson hit his 23rd homer this season and his first since July 31 after missing three weeks with a right wrist contusion. The three-run shot put the White Sox ahead 5-0 in the third.
"Good thing the pain's gone," Davidson said.
Jose Iglesias' fly ball down the left-field line was initially called a grand slam in the seventh before the umpires conferred and ruled it foul without a review or argument from the Tigers. Iglesias grounded out to leave the bases loaded.
"Off the bat, it was a little scary," Giolito said. "But then I saw it sail foul and I'm like, all right, strike one."
Kevan Smith added a sacrifice fly and Sanchez had an RBI single in the eighth off the Tigers' Zac Reininger, who made his major league debut.
HEART ISSUE FOR MARTINEZ
The Tigers placed designated hitter Victor Martinez on the 10-day disabled list because of an irregular heartbeat, the second time he has landed on the DL this season with the condition.
Ausmus said Martinez experienced a racing heart after his last at-bat Saturday. Martinez spent the night in a hospital and his heartbeat was regulated. He was expected to be released Sunday and travel by car to Detroit.
"This is something you take very serious because it could be life-threatening," Ausmus said.
The 38-year-old Martinez was on the DL from June 16-28 with an irregular heartbeat. The five-time All-Star has batted .255 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs in 107 games in his 15th season in the majors.
The Tigers called up outfielder JaCoby Jones from Triple-A Toledo.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: DH Nick Castellanos (sprained left wrist) returned to the lineup after missing two games. ... LHP Daniel Norris (left groin strain) is 0-1 with an 8.64 ERA in three rehab outings with Triple-A Toledo. Ausmus said Norris may make another rehab start. ... RHP Anibal Sanchez (left hamstring strain) was eligible to come off the DL Sunday and expected to throw a bullpen session. The team will determine if he needs a rehab assignment.
White Sox: INF/OF Nicky Delmonico said his sprained right wrist is feeling better. He went on the 10-day DL Saturday.
UP NEXT
Tigers: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (7-11, 6.11) is set to start the opener of a three-game series at Colorado on Monday.
White Sox: After an off day Monday, RHP James Shields (2-4, 5.63) will start the series opener Tuesday at Minnesota.
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