White Sox ace Lucas Giolito rocked for eight runs in one inning of workon April 19, 2021 at 6:28 pm

BOSTON — Six runs in the first.

On seven hits and a walk, including a leadoff home run.

On 49 pitches, to 11 batters.

Lucas Giolito, White Sox ace, pitching.

Huh?

But wait, there was more. After Giolito finally got out of his nightmare of a start on Patriots Day at Fenway Park, still before noon after an 11:10 a.m. first pitch, he went back out for the second inning and gave up a leadoff homer to J.D. Martinez and a walk to Rafael Devers.

At with that, mercifully, manager Tony La Russa — hoping to save his bullpen but Giolito having none of it on a strangely awful day — brought in Zack Burdi.

The White Sox lost 11-4.

Giolito had entered with a 2.55 ERA. When he left, with a pitching line of one-plus inning, eight runs (seven earned) on two walks and no strikeouts, it was 5.79. He did not have his usual good stuff, and the Red Sox were sitting on his bread and butter pitch, the changeup.

Tim Anderson was 3-for-4, raising his average to .364, and Adam Eaton had two hits and drove in three runs for the White Sox (8-8), who swept a doubleheader Sunday.

La Russa, saving his bullpen, used designated hitter Yermin Mercedes to pitch the eighth inning and infielder Danny Mendick in the eighth.

Mercedes allowed a run on three hits and two walks. Mendick was better than Mercedes, allowing one hit and striking out Franchy Cordero.

Burdi pitched three innings, allowing two runs, and Jose Ruiz pitched two scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

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