Giolito strikes out 10 Cubs, Abreu and Garcia homer in White Sox’ 4-3 victory

In southern California, where Lucas Giolito is from, it’s not like this.

It’s not freezing cold in May as it was Tuesday, or even low 40s chilly like Wednesday. And the SoCal rivalry between, say, the Dodgers and Angels is nothing like Cubs and White Sox.

Not among the fans, who, as Harry Caray might have said, got “good and loud” at Wrigley Field during the White Sox’ 4-3 victory over the Cubs Wednesday at Wrigley Field. They stood on their feet when reliever Matt Foster pitched out of a jam. Earlier, Tim Anderson’s waving towel from the Sox dugout kept them revved up.

“Honestly, there’s more between the Dodgers and [San Francisco] Giants, for sure,” Giolito said. “The Angels are down in Anaheim, it’s like a whole different place.”

For Chicago fans, the Cubs-Sox rivalry is an entirely different thing. Fights at Guaranteed Rate Field or Wrigley Field are not unusual in the stands, especially when the weather heats up. It’s not pretty, but for guys like Giolito, who wasn’t a fan of a particular team growing up, it’s more amusing than something to be understood. But it created an energy the Sox, who have started slowly this season, didn’t reject.

“This one, the emotions can get a little bit heightened at times,” Giolito said. “I’d say that’s kind of what the rivalry can do. But the focus is always the same, no matter who you’re playing.”

Giolito looked focused while allowing three runs but striking out a season-high 10 batters over 5 2/3 innings against the Cubs at Wrigley Field Wednesday.

Going for a two-game sweep after their 3-1 win the night before, the Sox gave Giolito a 1-0 lead on Jose Abreu’s homer in the left field basket in the first inning against Kyle Hendriks. It was Abreu’s eighth Wrigley homer in 78 at-bats.

Giolito struck out three of the first four batters he faced, then walked Frank Schwindel before allowing a home run to Nico Hoerner in the second. Two batters later, Patrick Wisdom homered to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead.

Another basket homer by Sox second baseman Leury Garcia in the third made it 3-2. Luis Robert, batting fourth for the first time in his career and continuing his hot hand against Cubs pitching with a 2-for-3 night plus a walk, doubled, went to third on Yasmani Grandal’s single and scored on Gavin Sheets’ soft single through the left side of the infield. It marked the fourth time Sheets has singled through a vacated position in a shift this season, and it tied the score at 3.

Another shift-defying hit, a bloop single with two out by AJ Pollock that landed in short right field beyond the sprawling reach of Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal in the sixth, gave the Sox a 4-3 lead.

Giolito retired 11 of the last 13 batters he faced, getting lifted with two out in the sixth after walking Ian Happ on his 101st pitch. With Reynaldo Lopez pitching, Willson Contreras’ drive to deep center field sent Robert crashing his left shoulder into the brick wall after a running catch. Robert was slow to get up but stayed in the game.

With runners on second and third and one out, Foster, in relief of Aaron Bummer, got Seiya Suzuki on a foul pop to Sheets and struck out Ian Happ looking at strike three.

Liam Hendriks pitched a perfect ninth, collecting his second save of the two-game series sweep and ending it by striking out Hoerner.

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