Acquiring Lucas Giolito was an aggressive move from the Los Angeles Angels to provide them with a front-end rotation arm, while also signaling that the club wasn’t willing to give up on the regular season despite an uphill climb.
The prospects given up were a nod to the caliber of player the Angels would be getting in the big right-hander, but through two starts, he’s been anything but that. Through 21 starts with the Chicago White Sox, Giolito owned a 3.79 ERA with immense upside in his stuff.
Through two starts against the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves, he’s allowed 12 earned runs, including five homers in just nine innings. His rough outigns put the team in a bad spot, and the eight-year veteran put it all on himself, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“I’ve made about as bad a first impression as you can,” Giolito said. “At this point, I just stay on my routine, stay confident and bring a better performance. I’m the reason we lost today. We had a chance to win the series against the best team in the league right now. So it’s a tough feeling.”
In his second start versus the Braves was a blow up, allowing nine earned runs on eight hits, three by way of the long ball. Giolito lasted just 3.2 innings, putting the rest of the game in the bullpen’s hands.
The Angels still haven’t quite turned the corner since their buy-in approach at the trade deadline, but the sure bet is that Giolito needs to be a large piece to that turnaround.
Zach Neto voted Angels 2023 Heart & Hustle Award winner
Zach Neto was named the Los Angeles Angels’ winner of the 2023 Heart and Hustle Award, which is presented annually by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) to one player on each team who “best embodies the values, spirits and traditions of baseball,” along with factoring in on-field performance.
Neto wins his first team Heart and Hustle Award in his rookie season. It is the only award voted on by former players, which is conducted prior to the All-Star Break.
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