Former Chicago White Sox Ace Achieves Career-Best Streak With Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito tossed another gem on Friday, holding the Washington Nationals to one run across 7.2 innings in an 11-2 victory.

That extended arguably the best stretch of Giolito's nine-year MLB career. Over his last five starts and 32.2 innings since June 10, he has allowed just three earned runs against the Rays, Mariners, Giants, Blue Jays and Nationals.

During that time, he has a 0.83 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP with 31 strikeouts. That represents the fewest earned runs Giolito has allowed in any five-start streak of his career, dating back to 2016.

The segment of his career that comes closest to matching this was a five-start run from May 23 to June 14, 2019, in which Giolito allowed four earned runs across 37.3 innings for the White Sox against the Astros, Royals (twice), Guardians and Yankees.

The 2019 season also marks Giolito's lone All-Star appearance and highest finish in AL Cy Young voting, sixth. Across 176.2 innings for the 72-89 White Sox, he posted a 3.41 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP with 228 strikeouts.

Giolito was a mainstay at the top of the White Sox rotation until the 2023 trade deadline, when he and fellow right-handed pitcher Reynaldo Lopez were traded to the Los Angeles Angels for catcher Edgar Quero and left-handed pitcher Ky Bush.

Coincidentally, Quero hit the first home run of his major league career on Friday, the same day as Giolito's fifth straight quality start. Bush is set to miss the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John Surgery.

Giolito, 30, is having his best season in several years with the Red Sox. Through his first 12 starts and 66.1 innings, he has a 3.66 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. He posted a 4.90 ERA and a .488 ERA during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively, before missing all of 2024 due to injury. That's his lowest ERA since 2021 with the White Sox, 3.53.