Lucas Giolito, the newest addition to the Los Angeles Angels, has faced some stumbling blocks since joining the team. After a disappointing defeat against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday afternoon, Giolito candidly expressed his frustration. According to a tweet from Sam Blum of the Athletic, Giolito accepted full accountability for his subpar performances since he started his journey with the Angels. His honest remarks come as a surprise, considering the Angels had prioritized acquiring him over other potential starting pitchers in the trade market before the deadline.
In his first two outings for the Angels, Giolito’s performance has been less than stellar. Over only nine innings, he has conceded 12 earned runs, five home runs, and a total of 14 hits.
While Giolito’s performance was commendable during a previous game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, Wednesday’s early afternoon showdown with the Atlanta Braves didn’t go quite as well. Giolito failed to make it past the fourth inning, and since joining the Angels, his ERA has jumped from 3.79 to a slightly concerning 4.36.
The Angels’ management probably didn’t anticipate such a rough start when they negotiated for Giolito with the Chicago White Sox. The situation worsened with the news of another starting player being sidelined earlier this week.
Currently, the Angels are trailing by 3.5 games for a wild card spot in the American League. As the franchise has exceeded the luxury tax for the first time in the Arte Moreno era, each game is critical. The team’s goal is to continue impressing Shohei Ohtani and keep him interested in a long-term commitment with the team.
With Mike Trout’s return from a broken hamate bone still uncertain, the Angels must secure wins in games like these to remain competitive in the playoff race.
Despite Giolito accepting the blame for the recent loss, the team’s success isn’t just his responsibility. If the Angels want to give their fans a chance to experience October baseball again, they’ll need to pull together and support each other through these tough times.
