Red Sox newcomer Lucas Giolito is getting an idea of what pitching in Boston might be like, and the 29-year-old is looking forward to what’s to come.
Giolito signed a two-year, $38.5 million deal with the Red Sox in free agency, becoming the team’s most notable pitching addition. He took the mound for Sunday’s spring training exhibition with the Minnesota Twins, which gave Giolito a first-hand look at what the Fenway Park atmosphere might be like.
“This is a hell of a spring training crowd,” Giolito said after tossing two hitless innings in Boston’s 8-6 Grapefruit League win over the Twins, per NESN’s Tom Caron. “It’s got me pumped to play in Boston.”
The 2019 All-Star right-hander struck out a batter and hit 95 mph — a notch upward from last season’s consistent 93 mph ballpark. Giolito also worked around a pitch clock violation in the first inning with ease.
Last season, as a member of the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians, Giolito struck out 204 batters and recorded a 4.88 ERA through a career-high 184 1/3 innings pitched.
That durability, above all else, should come in handy for Boston.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora underwent a rollercoaster ride with the pitching rotation last season, watching a handful of names hit the injury list all throughout the campaign while leaning on relievers to make starts. Yet, with Giolito added to the mix, Boston has an innings eater with eight years of valuable big league experience.
