NEW YORK — This was no way for Lucas Giolito to enhance his trade value or help the White Sox keep a desperately needed winning streak going.
The right-hander with the expiring contract and best résumé of any Sox pitcher got clobbered for five runs in the first inning by the Mets, themselves a team in a state of urgency to save a disappointing season before the trade deadline Aug. 1.
Blame it on the day off Monday after the Sox beat the Braves, the best team in the majors, on Saturday and Sunday. Or on Giolito’s eight days of rest, thanks to the All-Star break. In any case, Giolito’s slider was flat, his control was off and Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty swatted back-to-back home runs against him in the first inning of an 11-10 loss at Citi Field.
DJ Stewart later piled on, hitting his first homer of the season in the fourth to give the Mets a 7-2 lead.
‘‘It hurts because the whole team came to play and battled all the way back,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘Five runs in the first inning. I didn’t have feel and I didn’t make adjustments, so I got exposed.
‘‘It was a very, very bad performance. We had a chance to win this game if I was just half-decent. Tough loss. It’s on me. But I like the way we’re playing.’’
It was a somewhat stunning dud for Giolito, whose ERA climbed from 3.45 to 3.96, after he had allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. But he needed 100 pitches to complete 3‰ innings in which he allowed eight runs, six hits and five walks. He got 11 swings-and-misses and struck out six.
As misfortune would have it for the Sox (40-56), it wouldn’t have taken much of a pitching effort to win on this night. The Sox cranked out 12 hits and took the game to the final at-bat against Mets closer David Robertson, who gave up an RBI single to Andrew Benintendi in the ninth before Tim Anderson (three hits) flied out with runners at second and third to end the game.
Anderson, who had his sixth multihit game in his last 14, slammed his bat in frustration.
‘‘We battled, battled, battled, battled,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘Everyone picked me up. Very close to tying it in the ninth, but move on and get a ‘W’ tomorrow.’’
The Mets led 8-4 after five innings and 11-4 after six after Alvarez hit his second homer of the game against reliever Tanner Banks. A five-run seventh, highlighted by a two-run double by Jake Burger and a two-run single by Yasmani Grandal — who had homered in the second — pulled the Sox to 11-9.
The trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and the Sox are all but certain to be sellers after failing to contend in the worst division in baseball. Teammates won’t be surprised to see Giolito get traded before he becomes a free agent.
‘‘You just know it’s part of the game and part of the business,’’ right-hander Dylan Cease said. ‘‘It’s what happens. You just treat it like everything’s normal, but it’s obviously a potential reality.
‘‘It’s definitely sad. It’s not like he’s dying; he’s just going to a different team if that were to happen. But it’s unfortunate, though.’’
What’s unfortunate is the Sox’ lineup has scored 24 runs in the last three games and possibly has turned a corner. But it might be too little, too late.
Through the last couple of weeks, as Giolito’s name surfaced in expectation of a trade, he has impressed manager Pedro Grifol, who is in his first season.
‘‘Whether there’s rumors out there, no rumors out there, he’s still the same guy,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘He doesn’t get too caught up in it. I’ve been extremely impressed.’’
Giolito said the trade rumors didn’t affect him against the Mets.
‘‘Just a bad start,’’ he said.
