MESA, Ariz. — Lucas Giolito’s six strikeouts against the Cubs Friday highlighted a three-inning outing that left the White Sox right-hander feeling good about his stuff, the weight he lost in the offseason and the pitch clock.
“Mixing in all my pitches. Executing good sequences. Trying to work ahead in the count, which we did most of the time,” said Giolito, who walked two batters and allowed three hits while allowing one unearned run in his second Cactus League start at Sloan Park.
After posting a 4.90 ERA last season, following three straight years with ERAs below 3.60, Giolito is bent on a bounceback season. He dropped about 25 pounds in the offseason after intentionally gaining weight to 280 last offseason and likes that he’s feeling more athletic.
“I definitely feel looser,” said Giolito, whose fastball sat in the 91-91 mph range. “I feel freer, have the ability to make adjustments quicker, realize when there is something that is getting a little off, rein it back in and make that good physical adjustment so I can get back in the strike zone.”
Giolito was an instant fan of the pitch clock during his first start and had those convictions confirmed against the Cubs. It helps him get into good rhythms.
“Less time to think,” he said. “Get the ball and go. Hear the sign, agree to it and you don’t have much time. Fire that thing and do it over again till you’re out of the inning. Yeah, I really like it.”
Where he belongs
Andrew Vaughn is getting reacquainted with first base, his life-long position, after a hiatus in the outfield where he was forced to play last season. The spot at first opened up when Jose Abreu left for Houston in the offseason as a free agent.
“It’s been good just getting back into my routine and getting on that ground ball schedule, taking as many as I can,” Vaughn said. “Just getting the footwork back, working with [infield coach] Eddie [Rodriguez] and it’s all coming back to me.”
Vaughn got his uniform dirty stabbing a liner to his left to take a hit away from former Sox teammate Nick Madrigal Friday. An exchange between the two ensued.
“Oh of course there was,” Vaughn said. “Not going to say what I said to him but along the lines of ‘I got ya.’ ’’
No Opening Day starter — yet
Grifol said he would wait till after the World Baseball Classic to name the Opening Day starter. Right-hander Lance Lynn — who starts for Team USA against Canada in pool play Monday, is pitching in the WBC.
The way starters are lining up in Cactus League, it stands to reason Dylan Cease would be the Opening Day starter, followed by Lynn, Giolito and Mike Clevinger in the opening series at Houston. Michael Kopech is lined up to start in the home-opening series against the Giants after that.
“Make sure that everybody’s healthy, everybody gets back healthy, everybody,” Grifol said.
Cubs/Sox
Grifol experienced his first taste of the crosstown rivalry Friday.
“I’m sure it increases 10-fold during the season,” he said.
The Sox host the Cubs July 25-26 and play at Wrigley Field Aug. 15-16.
Sox 4, Cubs 3
Third baseman Bryan Ramos, one of the Sox’ top prospects, hit a two-run homer and catcher Seby Zavala hit his second homer of the spring in a game played in two hours, 15 minutes, the fastest of the spring.
*Switch hitter Yasmani Grandal, the designated hitter, doubled from both sides of the plate in four at-bats, driving in a run and raising his spring average to .389.
*Right-hander Nick Padilla, who is pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.
On deck: Sox at Padres, 2:10 p.m., Peoria, Mike Clevinger (first start) vs. Blake Snell (0-0, 3.00. Clevinger makes his first Cactus League start against his former team.
