CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Coming off the best start of his career, White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito backed it up with another strong performance Tuesday evening.
Giolito had a rough first inning but responded in dominant fashion the rest of the night, throwing eight innings of three-run ball and matching a career-high with 10 strikeouts to earn the win in the White Sox's 4-3 victory against the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field. It marked the sixth straight decision that Giolito has won, becoming the first White Sox pitcher to do so since Chris Sale in 2016.
Giolito started the nightcap after the White Sox were 2-1 victors earlier in the evening in the completion of a suspended game. He surrendered a three-run homer to Alex Gordon in the first inning after allowing a single to Whit Merrifield and walking Adalberto Mondesi.
In hindsight, Giolito realized he made a mental mistake in his preparation, warming up in about 10 minutes instead of using his usual 30 minutes. The second game was moved up to a 6:40 p.m. start, and Giolito thought it would begin at its usual 7:10 p.m.
"I was not paying attention to the start time of the second game, so I was a little late," Giolito said. "That first inning was kind of a continuation of my usual prep time. I was not fully locked in from the get-go. They did have a pretty good approach to me in the first inning. I left some changeups up. Merrifield and Gordon got them."
Unlike in 2018 -- when he posted an MLB-worst 6.13 ERA for qualifying pitchers -- Giolito has responded well to adversity this season. Tuesday was the latest example, as he trusted his preparation and showcased more maturity.
"The big thing last year was the league knew if you got to him early, it messed with him," said White Sox catcher James McCann, who played for the Tigers in 2018. "The big thing now is he does not let one bad thing that happens turn into two or three things. Mentally, he can slam the door when he needs to."
Giolito, 24, is making a strong case for an All-Star bid, as he now sits at 7-1 with a 2.85 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 10 starts. He has struck out 69 batters in 60 innings.
"He really did his job," manager Rick Renteria said. "He worked through the early traffic and obviously settled in. He did what he needed to do for us."
Giolito has taken pride in the work he put in amid his transformation from being one of the worst pitchers in baseball in 2018 to being one of the best in 2019.
"Last year what happened in the first inning would have rattled me," Giolito said. "Right now I know if I make my adjustments and get on the same page with (McCann), I know I will get guys out consistently."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
