MLB: The Show Players League — Giolito walks it off against its top player, Joey Gallo
Lucas Giolito was tasked with three games and a bye slot for Monday's MLB: The Show Players League. The past three tournament nights for Giolito have been entertaining and enlightening, and tonight was no different! Read up on how Lucas performed yesterday in preparation for his next stream, which is tonight (Tuesday) at 8 p.m. CT on twitch.tv/GeneralGio.
Game 13: Chicago White Sox at Milwaukee Brewers
To begin the night, Giolito faced Josh Hader and the virtual Milawaukee Brewers. Donning the baby-blue throwback jerseys, Giolito was ready to get the night started. However, the offense was off to a sluggish start. José Abreu snagged a two-out single up the middle, but that was all the offense could muster in the top of the first.
As for the bottom of the inning, Giolito started virtual Lucas Giolito. Unfortunately, virtual Lucas Giolito was having an off-day, giving up three home runs in the first to put his team down 4-0 early.
Yasmani Grandal was able to crush a shot to right field, and Edwin Encarnación followed with an RBI single, but a dreaded L1/R1 controller baserunning mix-up ended the inning and any White Sox momentum.
Down 4-2, Steve Cishek pitched a 1-2-3 second, and Giolito was ready to have some "good, patient at-bats" in the third. Tim Anderson ended up launching a ball to left field, but it did not leave the field of play. Two batters later, a double play ended the game. All Lucas had to say was "that game was like running into a brick wall." I've never ran into a brick wall, but I'm sure this is an accurate analogy.
Giolito dropped to 7-5 overall, and 5-2 on the road. It was not the best start to the three-game night, but Lucas was ready to put it behind him and upset the 16-1 Joey Gallo.
Game 14: Texas Rangers at Chicago White Sox
Giolito saved virtual Dallas Keuchel for his biggest game of the MLB: The Show Player's League so far, and he went with the 1917 home jerseys.
Keuchel snagged two quick outs to open up the game, but Gallo went deep as virtual Joey Gallo to go up 1-0 in the first. Luckily, Keuchel rebounded for the final out of the inning.
TA7 opened the home-half of the first with a double, and moved to third on an error. Giolito told his stream that "we don't sac bunt," and for that, I love Lucas. Naturally, Abreu then drove in Anderson as Lucas stated, "Who needs a sac bunt when we're getting hits and scoring runs?" I couldn't have said it better myself, Lucas! A GIDP ended the inning, but to be tied 1-1 with Gallo after the first was a major accomplishment.
The second inning saw a 1-2-3 performance by Keuchel, and a 1-2-3 inning by Gallo.
Quickly making his way to the third inning, Giolito and virtual Keuchel pitched a scoreless third, so it was time for Giolito's first walk-off of the tournament!
"It is go time." Yes, Gio, it was.
All I can say is: STICK TALK.
Giolito improved to 8-5 overall and 3-3 at home. And let's not ignore Keuchel, with a complete game once again! It felt good to hand Joey Gallo his second loss of the tournament. The stream went wild, and it was beautiful.
Game 15: Chicago White Sox at Arizona Diamondbacks
Lucas was 1-1 on the night, and he was ready to end the night with a winning record. His last opponent was Jon Duplantier of the real and virtual Arizona Diamondbacks. Giolito planned to use Michael Kopech for the start, but his video game numbers have not caught up to his real-life numbers, so Giolito turned to Gio González, as well as the clubhouse favorite alternate black-top jerseys.
However, as the road team, Giolito and the offense started off the game with a TA7 double. Anderson moved to third on a passed ball/wild pitch (was not specified), and Abreu singled him home to give the virtual Sox an early 1-0 lead. Once again, Lucas was adamant on not bunting. As a reward, Grandal hit his second home run of the night: a three-run blast! Lucas ended the inning with a crooked number up on the board, 4-0.
Duplantier was able to score two runs very quickly in his half of the first, but Lucas and virtual Gio G. were able to escape the inning with only the two-run damage.
For the middle inning of the game, Jon pitched a scoreless half, and Steve Cishek was brought into the game for a scoreless half. During his scoreless outing, Cishek secured a pop-out for the first out of the inning, and for the second out, he had a smooth, backhand snag on a laser to the mound, which he threw to first for the second out. I can't wait to see Cishek do this in real life.
Giolito was looking for some insurance runs in the third, but Duplantier tossed a 1-2-3 inning, so it was time to lock down the win with a save.
Cishek started the inning, but after tossing a walk, Aaron Bummer replaced him, and Bummer notched all three outs needed to end the game and earn the save. Giolito ended the night going 2-1, improved to 6-2 on the road, and stood at 9-5 overall!
Afterthoughts
The highlight of the night was easily taking down the 16-1 Gallo, and it was magnificent. It was a "big TA7 walk off. Bat flip city!" as Lucas stated on his post-game conference with Sony San Diego Studios. As for his slow start, Lucas is planning to squeeze in a 10-minute warm up before his next set of games in order to not take a "fat L."
Giolito plays again tonight at 8 p.m. CT, going back to the four-player format: Gavin Lux and the virtual Dodgers, Dwight Smith Jr. and the virtual Orioles, Rhys Hoskins of the virtual Philadelphia Phillies, and the fourth game will be a makeup game with Eduardo Rodríguez and the virtual Red Sox. The White Sox are currently tied for eighth place in the league with the virtual Cincinnati Reds. It is time to keep playing well and secure a playoff berth.
Once again, you can watch Lucas shine on his Twitch channel. His streams have been nothing short of fun and engaging. Learn a little bit about Lucas, and watch him finesse his way through a fun online baseball tournament. As always, I will live-tweet the game and host a discussion here, on Sports Illustrated.
See you tonight, Lucas Giolito and White Sox fans!