Giolito stumbles as .500 eludes Sox again

The White Sox can’t seem to get over the .500 mark this season. Monday’s 11-4 loss to the Red Sox marked Chicago’s seventh attempt in 17 games to be an over-.500 team.

The White Sox were 0-6 in previous attempts to put the club over .500, as they were outscored 30-14 in those games. The same fate didn’t look to be in the cards with Lucas Giolito taking the mound and an offense that scored 12 runs in its past three games.

Patriots’ Day at Fenway Park started on the right foot for the White Sox. Tim Anderson scored on an RBI double from Luis Robert, and it looked like Chicago was picking up where it left off in Sunday’s 5-1 Game 2 win. For the fourth consecutive game, they scored in the top of the first inning to get an early lead.

The matchup between Giolito and Nathan Eovaldi was slated to be an early-morning showdown. Giolito was coming off his best start of the season where he tossed seven scoreless innings, struck out eight batters and allowed three hits. Eovaldi, on the other hand, pitched five innings, allowed two earned runs on five hits and recorded three strikeouts in his last start.

But it was Giolito who walked away from the showdown after one-plus innings. The Red Sox scored three runs before the first out was recorded in the bottom of the first. Boston proceeded to plate another trio of runs before it made the second out.

"I think that they had a solid approach against me,” Giolito said. “I pitched right into it, and they didn't miss.”

Giolito was removed in the second inning, without recording an out, after J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers opened it with a home run and a walk, respectively. The right-hander gave up eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits for the shortest outing of his career.

"I felt fine, I was just trying to make pitches. The mental approach and everything was all the same, just trying to execute pitches,” Giolito said of going back to the mound in the second inning. “Again, I think with two strikes, I didn't do my job putting guys away when I really, really needed to. And I mean, for me, no matter what happened in the first inning with how many pitches I threw, my goal at that point was to get through as many hitters [in] as many innings as possible, and [it] just didn't work out that way.”

Chicago's offense chipped away at Boston’s seven-run lead after the second, but the additional runs couldn’t compete with the Red Sox, who also added to their runs column.

As Boston extended its lead, the White Sox wanted to preserve their relievers. So they turned to designated hitter Yermín Mercedes and shortstop Danny Mendick to pitch the last couple of innings. Mercedes made his first career pitching appearance and got out of a bases-loaded jam to end the seventh.

The four-game series showed flashes of Chicago's capability, but also drew attention to where it needs to improve. Its starting rotation is one of the best in the American League with a 3.36 ERA, but the bullpen is ranked near the bottom with its 4.26 ERA.

The lineup has racked up 149 strikeouts, 12 coming on Monday, and its .243 batting average ranks 11th in MLB.

Although the White Sox are outscoring opponents 81-70, the lack of consistency has led them to a losing record. Opposing teams have outscored the White Sox 38-19 in games that would put them over .500.

The loss gives the White Sox a losing record, once again, as they slip in the AL Central standings behind the first-place Royals.

"Just wasn't [Giolito's] day, and I know he wanted to keep competing,” manager Tony La Russa said. “But he gave what he had for the day. We'll look forward to seeing him next time. It just happens to pitchers, the best of them.”