Red Sox's Struggling $38.5 Million Starter Has NSFW Response To Terrible Day

Seven earned and not out of the second inning... yikes

Jun 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's starting pitching strategy isn't paying off this season, and Lucas Giolito has been part of the problem.

After he couldn't throw a pitch in the first season of his two-year, $38.5 million contract, it may have been asking a lot of Giolito to step right into the rotation for a team with playoff aspirations. But the results have been worse than anyone could have projected.

Giolito is 1-1 through seven starts with a 6.42 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and -0.6 bWAR. On Wednesday, he surrendered seven earned runs in only 1 2/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels, the team that traded for him and sent his career spinning off the rails in 2023.

Though the Red Sox came back to win the game 11-9 on a Ceddanne Rafaela walk-off home run, Giolito was far from pleased with his efforts, and was particularly apologetic to the bullpen, as Boston's starters have been putting their relief pitching counterparts through the ringer.

"It was terrible," Giolito said, per Tom Carroll of WEEI. "I'm super proud of the team. Everyone came to play today. Big-time. Bullpen was incredible. A lot's being asked of them. I put them in a terrible position. Guys that are down had to throw. But everybody came to play, we were able to get that win, that's huge."

When asked if his year-long layoff was still contributing to his poor performance, Giolito refused to mince words.

"There's no excuse," Giolito said. "I mean, it's super poor. I gotta figure it the f--- out."

The Red Sox's starters own a combined 4.42 ERA, which ranks 24th in baseball, and that includes ace Garrett Crochet's 1.98 mark. Giolito, Walker Buehler, and Tanner Houck all made All-Star teams in the past, but none have been anything close to a number-two behind Crochet.

It's not just Giolito. This whole rotation needs to figure it the (bleep) out, or the 30-34 Red Sox are bound for the pastures.

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