Twitter rallies behind Lucas Giolito after he delivers first no-hitter in 2020 season

Lucas Giolito tossed the 19th no-hitter in White Sox history on Tuesday against the Pirates

Chicago White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito was the worst starting pitcher in baseball two seasons ago. Now he’s the newest member of the exclusive no-hitter club after a dominant performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Giolito had to hold his breath as Pirates leadoff hitter Erik Gonzalez lined a 0-2 fastball to right-field with two outs in the ninth inning. But when it settled into the glove of Adam Engel, he knew he had the 19th no-hitter in White Sox franchise history. He’s the first White Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Philip Humber’s perfect game against Seattle on April 21, 2012, and the first to throw one in the Major Leagues this season.

Giolito struck out 13, the most in a White Sox no-hitter, and needed only 101 pitches to complete the gem. Gonzalez was the only Pirates batter to reach base, drawing a four-pitch walk to begin the fourth. As Giolito continued to set down the Pirates lineup, his teammates made sure to leave him alone in the dugout.

The historic outing completes a stunning transformation for Giolito, from a struggling prospect to one of the best pitchers in the game. In 2018, he had the worst ERA among all qualified starters (6.13) and led the league in runs allowed and walks. He rebounded to go 14-9 with a 3.41 ERA in 2019, finishing sixth in Cy Young Award voting and making his first All-Star Game appearance.

Giolito relied on a steady stream of fastballs and changeups to keep the Pirates hitters off-balance all right. Of his 101 pitches, 47 were fastballs and 38 were changeups. He struck out at least one batter in every inning.

The closest the Pirates came to a hit was Bryan Reynolds’ line drive up the middle with one out in the seventh. Shortstop Tim Anderson had to range well to his right and quickly get rid of the ball. The throw was low but first baseman Jose Abreu managed to dig it out of the infield dirt, getting Reynolds out by a step.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Lucas Giolito’s no-hitter

The White Sox improved to 18-12 with the 4-0 victory and are now 1.5 games behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. They have an exciting young lineup, but on Tuesday night, none of their young stars shone brighter than their 26-year-old ace.