'It's a tough feeling': Giolito hit hard in 2nd Angels start

ATLANTA -- Veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito knows he has to be better going forward if he’s going to help lead the Angels in their postseason push.

Giolito, who was acquired in a trade with the White Sox on July 26, struggled in his second start with his new club, tying a career high by allowing nine runs in a 12-5 loss to the Braves in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon at Truist Park.

Giolito went 3 2/3 innings, walking three and allowing eight hits, including three home runs in his worst start of the season. It marked the second time he has given up nine runs, which he previously did on April 21, 2018, against the Astros.

Giolito had a 3.79 ERA in 21 starts with the White Sox but is 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA in two starts with the Angels since being acquired along with reliever Reynaldo López for prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush. Giolito also gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings in a 4-1 defeat vs. the Blue Jays on Friday.

“I've made about as bad a first impression as you can,” Giolito said. “At this point, I just stay on my routine, stay confident and bring a better performance. I’m the reason we lost today. We had a chance to win the series against the best team in the league right now. So it’s a tough feeling.”

With their loss to the Braves, the Angels (56-53) finished 5-4 on their road trip through Pittsburgh, Toronto and Atlanta. They’re now 4 games behind the Blue Jays in the chase for the final AL Wild Card spot, after Toronto’s win against the Orioles on Wednesday night.

“Big picture, you want to play over .500 on the road, but certainly there were some games we thought we could’ve got,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “Today is a disappointment. A chance to win a series against the best team in the league.”

Giolito was brought in to help fortify the rotation, but he has had trouble keeping the ball in the park, serving up five home runs over his first two outings with the Angels. It’s been an issue for him this season, as he’s allowed 25 homers in 130 innings after giving up 24 in 161 2/3 innings last season.

Giolito was sharp early on Wednesday before he gave up three consecutive hits with one out in the third, including a three-run homer to Ronald Acuña Jr. Giolito left a 1-1 fastball over the heart of the plate, and Acuña didn’t miss it for his 25th blast of the year.

“They just didn’t miss mistakes,” Giolito said. “When I missed more toward the middle of the plate, they smoked them. It was pretty rough."

The Angels made it a two-run game with an RBI single from Hunter Renfroe in the fourth, but Eduardo Escobar grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners at the corners and one out.

The high-powered Braves put the game away in the bottom of the fourth with a six-run frame. Giolito lost his command early in the inning, walking Eddie Rosario with one out before plunking Orlando Arcia. Both runners advanced on a passed ball by catcher Chad Wallach and scored on a two-run single from Michael Harris II.

Atlanta continued to pour it on from there, as Acuña singled, Ozzie Albies brought home a run with a sacrifice fly and then Austin Riley and Matt Olson connected on back-to-back homers. Riley’s homer came on a first-pitch slider over the middle, and Olson’s came on a 1-1 changeup down in the zone.

“This offense is relentless sometimes, and when they get rolling like that, that’s what happens,” Nevin said. “He left some pitches over the middle of the plate.”

Olson's homer knocked Giolito from the game at 87 pitches. It was tied for the shortest start of the year for Giolito, who also went 3 2/3 innings against the Tigers on May 25 and the Mets on July 18. But right-hander Jaime Barria saved the rest of the team’s relievers by throwing 4 1/3 innings in long relief, giving them a fresh bullpen heading into a crucial four-game series against the Mariners that begins Thursday at Angel Stadium.

“Barria, that was massive,” Nevin said. “He gave us all those outs, and we didn’t have to go into the ‘pen. We’re locked and loaded heading into this homestand.”