Lucas Giolito ready for Angels debut vs. Blue Jays

Jul 18, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (27) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Right-hander Lucas Giolito is set to make his Los Angeles Angels debut on Friday in the opener of a three-game series against the host Toronto Blue Jays.

The Angels acquired Giolito and right-handed reliever Reynaldo Lopez from the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in exchange for two prospects.

The Angels also confirmed that they would not trade two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who can become a free agent at the end of the season, so the Blue Jays will be facing a team that is hoping to make a playoff run.

Giolito is 6-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 21 starts this season. His 131 strikeouts rank 10th in the American League, and he has limited opponents to a .211 average in his past nine starts.

Giolito spent 6 1/2 seasons in Chicago’s rotation, winning 59 games. He was an All-Star selection in 2019, and threw a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 25, 2020. He is 2-2 with a 5.45 ERA in seven career starts against Toronto.

Kevin Gausman (7-5, 3.18 ERA) is slated to start for the Blue Jays on Friday. He is 3-3 with a 4.78 ERA in eight career starts against the Angels.

Ohtani pitched the first complete game of his major league career Thursday afternoon, a one-hit shutout in a 6-0 victory over the host Detroit Tigers during the opener of a doubleheader.

Ohtani hit his 37th and 38th home runs of the season, adding to his major-league-leading total, in the second game before leaving with what the club said was cramping.

Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin said of Ohtani following the Angels’ doubleheader sweep, “He’ll get some fluids in him and he’ll be fine.”

There had been widespread speculation that Ohtani could be traded before the Tuesday deadline, but that the team decided to hold onto him.

“We’re going to roll the dice and see what happens,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters in Detroit on Thursday before the doubleheader.

“I love Shohei Ohtani,” Minasian said. “He comes in, prepares, works, goes out and performs on a nightly basis. Obviously, does both (hitting and pitching). He’s a great teammate. He takes this really seriously. He eats it. He sleeps it. He’s somebody that we would love to have going forward.”

The Angels posted an 11-4 victory in the second game to cap a three-game series sweep of the Tigers. They have won four straight and eight of nine overall.

The Blue Jays will open a seven-game homestand after a 3-3 road trip that ended on Wednesday with an 8-1 victory in the rubber match of a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After losing two of three to the Seattle Mariners, the Blue Jays came close to sweeping the Dodgers. They failed to hold a four-run, ninth-inning lead on Tuesday, however, and lost 8-7 in 10 innings.

“Really proud of them,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after the win on Wednesday. “That’s a huge bounce-back. We’re talking about a series against a good team on the road. … Really proud of the way they came back today.”

The Blue Jays got a strong six-inning start from Yusei Kikuchi and home runs from Whit Merrifield and Danny Jansen on Wednesday.

“We did a great job of showing up today ready to play and salvaged the road trip,” Merrifield said.

After facing the Angels, the Blue Jays will play a four-game series against the division rival Baltimore Orioles, who lead the American League East.

“We’re in a good spot,” Kikuchi said. “We still have a few games to catch up if we want to win the East, but the clubhouse atmosphere is fine right now and we have the goal of winning a championship.”

–Field Level Media

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