Right-handers Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox and Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets both are more than halfway through their respective 2019 seasons, but their link to 2018 remains.
Giolito posted the worst ERA in the major leagues last season, at 6.13, while deGrom compiled a 1.70 ERA, good for best in the majors and the backbone supporting deGrom’s National League Cy Young Award.
On Wednesday, the pitchers are set to oppose one another as New York and Chicago continue an interleague series at Guaranteed Rate Field in the Windy City. While Giolito (11-5, 3.52 ERA) has improved his trajectory, deGrom (6-7, 2.86) has stayed on a solid track.
“He’s our leader. He’s our ace. He sets the tone,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway recently told reporters. “He has for a long time in this organization now.”
As with last season, when he earned just 10 victories — same as Giolito — deGrom isn’t challenging the NL leaderboard for wins. Still, the Mets are playing well lately. New York extended its winning streak to five games with Tuesday’s 5-2 win in 11 innings in the series opener. The surge started Thursday, when deGrom pitched seven shutout innings of an eventual 4-0 home victory against the San Diego Padres.
“His stuff is just straight-up nasty,” Callaway said. “It’s a devastating weapon when he’s got it going on.”
Giolito also last pitched on Thursday, with decidedly different results. The Minnesota Twins reached Giolito for four home runs as he yielded seven runs in five innings of a 10-3 home loss.
“I got shelled,” Giolito said. “Gave up homers and didn’t give the team a chance. That’s it.”
After working at least 7 1/3 innings in four successive starts from May 23 to June 8, Giolito has pitched no longer than 6 2/3 innings in eight starts since. Giolito hasn’t won since defeating the Twins on June 30, as Minnesota adjusted upon seeing him less than one month later.
“You’re facing a club that is very aggressive at the plate, has been for most of the season. They come in swinging the bat very well,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “You have to execute and if you leave pitches out over the plate for these guys, they will put good swings on and hammer them, and (Thursday) they did.
“Lucas tried to battle, tried to get through it, obviously gave up a couple long balls. But you have to turn the page and move on. As you look past that, Lucas will be fine.”
Giolito is 0-0 with a 4.70 ERA in two career starts against the Mets, scattering four runs and five strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. He has not faced New York this season.
Wednesday will mark deGrom’s second career appearance against the White Sox and first of 2019. Pitching on June 1, 2016, at Citi Field, he took a no-decision after spacing one run on five hits — including a solo home run — in seven innings with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada left Tuesday’s game in the first inning with hamstring tightness.
Chicago was optimistic about having the left side of its infield intact for the first time in more than a month. Shortstop Tim Anderson returned from the injured list Tuesday, appearing in the Chicago lineup for the first time since suffering a high right ankle sprain June 26 in Boston.
