Washington Nationals: Lucas Giolito throws no-hitter against Syracuse
Last night, former Washington Nationals pitcher Lucas Giolito threw a seven inning no-hitter against the Syracuse Chiefs
It’s too early to decide who won the trade between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago White Sox that involved Adam Eaton and Lucas Giolito at the winter meetings. But, Giolito made sure last night that his old organization remembered what kind of stuff he had and made everyone think a little bit.
Giolito took the mound for the Charlotte Knights in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs and made some history by throwing a seven inning no-hitter. He walked three batters and struck out three on 87 pitches (50 strikes) in the 4-0 win.
The key for Giolito last night was not getting into many deep counts. Out of the 24 batters that he faced, six of them saw two pitches or fewer. Even in his final inning, Giolito would fall behind 3-0 on three different hitters, but he was able to keep the no-no alive.
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In his first nine starts with the Knights, Giolito has ran into some problems with his command, which fans might remember from his time with the Washington Nationals. The 22-year-old right-hander has 25 walks this season, which is tied for the third most in the International League and he just picked up his first win on May 13.
While Giolito has had his fair share of struggles, he might have run into the right team to bounce back. Coming into last night, the Chiefs had scored the fewest runs of any team in the IL. Plus, outfielder Rafael Bautista just went on the seven-day disabled list.
Right now, it’s way too early to evaluate that blockbuster deal. While Adam Eaton tore his ACL, the Washington Nationals still have him under contract for the next four seasons. Plus, none of the three pitchers the White Sox acquired have yet to reach the majors with Chicago.
But, that moment had to feel good for Giolito last night as he got to show his old organization that he still has the stuff to throw a no-no, regardless of what level he’s at. Who knows if that will give him the confidence going forward to turn around his season?
As for Giolito’s opposition, Austin Voth gave up three home runs in the six innings that he pitched. The Chiefs right-hander walked three batters and struck out two on 95 pitches (58 strikes) over six innings. Voth has not won a game since April 21 and has walked three or more batters in three of his last four outings.
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After Giolito’s no-hitter, the Chiefs offense came back in Game 2 with a 8-4 win over Charlotte. Clint Robinson hit his eighth home run of the season in that game and now has three home runs in his last three games.