Lucas Giolito Proves He Still Has It As Guardians Destroy Rangers

Lucas Giolito strikes out 12 batters as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Texas Ranges.

© Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Lucas Giolito took the mound on Friday night making his third start for the Cleveland Guardians. His first two appearances were rough and questions began to circulate whether or not he was still the same pitcher that everyone watched in Chicago.

It was a valid question at the time. Gilito held an astronomically high ERA over his first two starts with the Guardians and struggled to get out of innings let alone finish games. The writing was on the wall that Friday could've been a tough start for the veteran as he faced off against a red-hot Texas Rangers lineup.

Baseball is a funny sport though. When everything feels like it'll go one way, that complete opposite happens and that's what happened to Giolito.

The 29-year-old pitcher ended up throwing 7.0 shutout innings while only allowing two hits. He only walked one batter and struck out a season-high 12 batters. The last time Giolito put together a 7.0 plus inning with two or fewer hits was on August 25, 2020, when he pitched a no-hitter.

This season has been a rough one for Giolito. He started the year with the Chicago White Sox who were underwhelming the last few years to put it lightly. He then got traded to the Los Angeles Angels and was waived a few weeks after that. Cleveland picked him up in hopes that he would be a part of a come-from-behind win of the AL Central.

Sep 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

That's a lot of movement and pitching staff handing out different information in a seven-month span. The human element of the game would say that it makes sense that Giolito has struggled. 

Giolito still has a handful of starts remaining before the season wraps up and will have the opportunity to build some nice momentum heading into the offseason.