Red Sox Notes: Lucas Giolito Considers First Win ‘Big Step Forward’

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito waited two years before recording his first big league win since 2023, and it came during the club’s Sunday afternoon Mother’s Day win over the Kansas City Royals.

Giolito took the mound at Kauffman Stadium as both teams sported their occasional pink attire and delivered just what the Red Sox needed in the rubber match. He tossed 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, holding the Royals to two hits while walking one and striking out five, which logged Giolito’s first win in a Boston uniform. It secured a series win for the Red Sox and a major boost of confidence for the 30-year-old.

“I think today was a big step forward,” Giolito told reporters after Boston’s 3-1 victory, per NESN. “… I feel like now it’s 100% healthy. There’s no worry about anything with the hamstring or the elbow or anything like that. Getting into my good rhythm and routine, but today’s a good one to build on.”

Throughout the game, Giolito’s dominance progressively flashed. Kansas City’s only run against Giolito came from a throwing error in the fourth inning, which created a rally-threatening jam that Giolito guided the team out of. Plus, he only threw 24 pitches in the final 2 2/3 innings before the bullpen took over in the seventh frame.

“I think the fastball played,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, per NESN. “There were a lot of mis-hit balls, and I think from the get-go, he was in control.”

Cora continued: “The fastball was a little harder, right? 93, 94 (MPH). But the thing is the mix of the pitches; sliders, (curveballs), the changeup was OK. In the last few days, we were banged up in the bullpen. What you saw was probably what we had, and both of them — (Garrett) Crochet and Gio — gave us enough.”

Behind the scenes, Giolito’s first win since September 2023 required a lot more work than most would think. The nine-year veteran revealed that his pitch arsenal was Giolito’s premier focus before going up against the Royals on Sunday.

“Going in with just two pitches, it’s not really gonna cut it in this league,” Giolito said, per NESN. “So, we got to work. We made a lot of adjustments with the slider. A lot of credit to (Andrew Bailey) and (Chris Holt) helping me out with that the last three days, and it turned into a real weapon so we utilized that today. A lot more sliders, curveballs, and (Carlos Narváez) is fantastic behind home plate again, just calling all the right pitches and locations.”

Here are more notes from Sunday’s Red Sox-Royals Mother’s Day game:

— Giolito was a member of the Cleveland Guardians when he notched his last win, prior to Sunday afternoons, on Sept. 20, two years ago.

— Wilyer Abreu put the Red Sox on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the fourth inning. The 25-year-old finished 3-for-4 at the plate, securing Abreu’s team-leading seventh three-hit game this season.

— Rafael Devers increased his on-base streak to 15 straight games, a stretch in which the three-time All-Star has hit .424 with five home runs, five doubles and 17 RBIs. He’s also recorded eight multi-hit games along the way.

“If you look at the numbers right now, he’s probably the best (designated hitter) in the American League right now,” Cora said.

— The Red Sox secured their sixth straight series win over the Royals, dating back to September 2022, and their fourth consecutive this season when losing the opening game of a series.

— Boston improved to 22-20 with the victory, as the team has outscored opponents, 47-35, across its last 11 games. Cora views the recent stretch of games as a sign of optimism for the club moving forward.

“We’ve been playing well,” Cora said, per NESN. “If you go back to Cleveland and Toronto, we’ve been in games. The bullpen did an amazing job with this one. The pitching staff, as a whole, they were amazing, and now we gotta turn the page and be ready for Detroit. They’re playing really well, the best team in the American League, and it’s gonna be a challenge.”

— The Red Sox will finish their road trip with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The first pitch in Monday’s series opener from the Motor City is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game and a full hour of pregame coverage live on NESN.