DETROIT — The reaction was universal wherever White Sox passion existed on Opening Day Friday.
You’ve got to be kidding.
About Lucas Giolito’s injury. And about the way the bullpen failed to protect multiple leads against the Tigers in a 5-4 loss.
Three days after Lance Lynn (knee) and Garrett Crochet (elbow) had surgery and one day after Yoan Moncada joined them on the injured list with an oblique strain, Lucas Giolito left his start against the Tigers at Comerica Park with abdominal tightness in his left side.
“Well I’m concerned because knowing him he won’t want to come out,” manager Tony La Russa said. “[You have to] drag him out of there. I’m concerned because he felt something … so it’s really, we got a lot riding on him getting checked and seeing what it is.”
Giolito had pitched four scoreless innings and everything seemed fine before Bennett Sousa trotted in from center field to open the Tigers fifth with the Sox leading 3-0. Then came word that Giolito was hurt.
It’s the latest injury to a pitching staff that has opened the season with Lance Lynn, Garrett Crochet and Ryan Burr on the injured list. Lynn, who had knee surgery to repair a tendon on Tuesday, had been the likely choice to start the opener. Instead, Giolito started his third straight opener.
The Sox said Giolito is being further evaluated. He threw 66 pitches.
Evaluation of the Sox bullpen after Sousa was simple — not good — after the Tigers rallied to win 5-4 on new Tiger Javy Baez’ game-winning single off AJ Pollock’s glove and right field wall scoring Austin Meadows, who had tripled against Liam Hendriks with two out in the ninth. Eric Haase’s homer tied it two batters before Meadows’ triple.
Andrew Vaughn’s homer in the ninth broke a tie.
The Sox led 1-0 on Eloy Jimenez’ RBI single in the first inning that scored Jose Abreu and added two runs in the second on an RBI single by leadoff hitter AJ Pollock and RBI double by Luis Robert. It was the 500th run scored of Pollock’s career.
Giolito was replaced by lefty Bennett Sousa, who pitched a perfect fifth in his major league debut.
Right-hander Kyle Crick, making his Sox debut, hit Robbie Grossman and walked Austin Meadowns to open the sixth. After Baez flied out to deep left, Kendall Graveman replaced Crick and gave up a single to Jeimer Candelario for the Tigers’ first run.
With runners on the corners, Graveman escaped by getting the slow footed Miguel Cabrera to hit into a double play, but it took an interference call on Candelario rolling into second baseman Josh Harrison to make it happen.
