Giolito vs. Flaherty. The game was billed as a premier pitching matchup between two former high school teammates. Flaherty came into the game with an 8-0 record, Giolito was coming off 11 strikeout performance against the Twins. It was supposed to be a low-scoring pitching duel. The St Louis Cardinals defense did not get the memo. They committed three errors leading to a one-sided 8-3 White Sox victory.
High School Reunion
Giolito and Flaherty were high school buddies at Westlake High School in Southern California. Flaherty was a freshman when Giolito was a junior. When Flaherty first walked into the locker room, Giolito was the first one to introduce himself.
“He doesn’t remember that. I do,” Flaherty told the media on Monday. “I kind of went with him everywhere. He was one of the guys that gave me rides wherever I needed it, to practice or when we played games on the weekend…I was always close with him.”
According to their head coach in high school, Matt LaCour, Gioltio was a tall, lanky teenager that had yet to grow into his body while Flaherty was an all-around athlete. The one thing they each had in common was elite pitching talent. Giolito was humming fastballs in the mid-90s. With the help of pitching coach Ethan Katz, each was selected in the first round of the MLB draft. Giolito went No. 16 and Flaherty went No. 34.
They each developed into aces of their respected midwestern teams. When Flaherty saw the pitching probables for the upcoming week he called LaCour and told him to get a flight to Chicago. Family and friends of each pitcher flocked to Guaranteed Rate Field. The two long-time friends were all set to face off on a National stage.
Giolito Outduels Flaherty
Giolito lived up to his end of the bargain. He tossed six innings, striking out five with no walks and only allowing one earned run. His quality start didn’t come without its hiccups. He had to work around six hits and an error
Giolito felt tightness on his right side and needed to be checked out before the start of the fourth inning. Trainer James Kruk and Tony La Russa determined he was good enough to continue. After allowing a hit to Matt Carpender in the fourth inning he got it together and retired every batter he faced. He lasted 92 pitches before giving way to the bullpen.
In the opposing dugout, Flaherty had a miserable day. The White Sox torched him for seven runs and he exited the game after just three 2/3 innings pitched. The bad outing was not all his fault, he had no support from his defense. Just three of the seven runs were earned.
Jose Abreu opened things up in the first inning, with an RBI groundout that scored Tim Anderson, who reached on an error. Tommy Edman dropped a routine fly ball off the bat of Yermin Mercedes which, made the lead 2-0.
In the second inning, the offense got back to work. Nick Madrigal hit an RBI single. Then Yoan Moncada walked with the bases loaded. Madrigal crossed home on a wild pitch and suddenly the lead was 5-0.
Jose Abreu provided the dagger in the fourth inning when he hit a towering home run that tucked just inside the foul pole to extend the lead to 7-2. Flaherty’s night was over soon after.
Stay fair.
IT WILL! pic.twitter.com/AmpihjmySf— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 26, 2021
“We still had to have at-bats, and it’s one of the best pitchers in the league,” Tony La Russa said. “You have to give credit to our hitters for capitalizing”
Jose Abreu capped off his excellent night with an RBI single making it 8-2. Abreu had four RBI’s on the night.
Hendriks Slams The Door
It looked like the White Sox had the game tucked away until the bullpen decided to make things interesting. Codi Heuer allowed a run in the seventh to make it an 8-3 game. In the ninth inning, Garrett Crochet loaded the bases with nobody out.
La Russa called on his closer to clean up the mess. Liam Hendriks did just that. The 54 million dollar man struck out Lane Thomas swinging. Then got Max Moroff to go down swinging. He ended the game by buzzing a fastball by the knees of Tommy Edman for a backward K. After inheriting a bases-loaded jam, Hendriks struck out the side with authority.
Slam the door. pic.twitter.com/iXHA9mJhMQ
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 26, 2021
That is what an All-Star closer is supposed to look like. The ninth inning was not your typical save situation. That did not phase Hendriks. The Australian closer has not had a great season to this point. He’s given up at least one run in six of his 20 outings, allowed four home runs and blown two saves. His last outing he entered the game with the bases loaded and walked in the winning run. Tuesday night served as a great bounce back for him.
His stuff was electric. The Cardinals never stood a chance.
The win was Giolito’s fourth of the season. It is safe to say this one carries a little extra meaning.
