Wow. Go ahead and pinch yourselves White Sox fans, because you’re not dreaming. Lucas Giolito has just thrown the 19th no-hitter in Chicago White Sox franchise history, retiring 27 Pittsburgh Pirates en route to the dominant feat.
Before we dive into the postgame quotes, let’s first start with the moment where history was made. I’m sure this is a clip that we’ll be seeing for a long time and quite honestly, it’s one that will never grow old. Everything from Engel’s catch to the team’s celebration to the call from Jason Benetti was just outstanding!
For me personally, it was hard not to get a special feeling about this outing after watching Giolito work his way through Pittsburgh’s order for the first time. Things just seemed different and the “Ace” held a level of command the entire game that only wavered briefly with a fourth inning walk.
As for Lucas, himself, he felt confident in the early going before coming to grips with what was unfolding.
“I knew it was working after the first inning; nice 1-2-3 inning, and then it just kept building and building,” Giolito shared with the media. “After the sixth inning is when I really started to notice what was going on. And then after the seventh, it was like, ‘I’ve got six outs left, we’re going to make this happen.’ I looked at who was coming up and I was like, ‘This is very much in the realm of possibility. I just need to continue to stick with my game plan and make it happen.’”
Throwing a no-hitter for Giolito is nothing new. In fact, you might recall that he managed to string one together with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in 2017. This didn’t stop Giolito from setting his goals even higher, though.
“The weird thing is that I always envisioned that I’d throw a no-hitter in the big leagues. If you would have asked me about it in ’18, I probably would have been like, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ But that was a weird year. I think that, it’s just a product of hard work, determination, learning how to trust myself, trust my stuff…”
When reflecting on the memorable night that was, Lucas credited the solid defense behind him as well as issued high praise for his All-Star battery mate, James McCann.
“A no-hitter is not all the pitcher, ever. There’s always that amazing defensive play that’s solid. The defense behind you, the catcher back there, McCann. I mean, I can’t give him enough credit.”
“I’d say tonight was one of those nights where we were really in-sync,” Gio elaborated further. “Like I had the grip ready to go and he was putting the signs down. Obviously, the relationship we have on and off the field is stupendous. I mean, I can’t say enough good things about him. He was such a huge part of what happened tonight.”
Like Giolito at the Major League level, this was also McCann’s first no-hitter that he’s been a part of. It was difficult for the catcher to fathom just how much the moment meant to him.
“I don’t have words to really describe it. Just where I’m at in my career, and doing it with a guy like Lucas who I have such a special connection with, it’s something that – I don’t even know what to say. It’s pretty special.”
Another person who was just as emotional following the game was manager Rick Renteria, especially after having seen the strides Lucas has made over the years.
“I just told him I was extremely happy for him,” revealed Renteria when asked what he said to Giolito. “All you guys are because you’ve seen how much he’s worked and the path that these guys are taking. He’s one of the guys that’s done so much and turned himself around. I don’t have any words. I want to cry. I’m really, really happy for him.”
This will truly be an unforgettable night for all of those involved, from Giolito and McCann to the coaching staff and countless fans watching from home.
If you would like to view the full videos from the postgame press conference, scroll down below.
Postgame Video
All video courtesy of the Chicago White Sox
Lucas Giolito
Rick Renteria
James McCann
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Featured Photo: Chicago White Sox/Twitter
The Sox need to extend McCann’s contract for 3-4 more years right now and have him be Giolito’s exclusive battery mate.