{"id":52473,"date":"2025-05-31T07:12:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T07:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52473"},"modified":"2025-05-31T07:12:46","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T07:12:46","slug":"alex-cora-explains-why-red-sox-pulled-surprised-lucas-giolito-after-4-2-innings-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=52473","title":{"rendered":"Alex Cora explains why Red Sox pulled \u2018surprised\u2019 Lucas Giolito after 4.2 innings Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lucas Giolito took the no decision after being lifted at 85 pitches Friday night. (AP Photo\/Butch Dill)AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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ATLANTA \u2014\u00a0Red Sox manager Alex Cora has spoken frequently about the importance of his starters pitching deeper into games. It was unexpected, then, to see him come out to lift Lucas Giolito from Friday\u2019s game against the Braves after just 4 \u2154 innings and 85 pitches in a game Boston led, 2-1.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised,\u201d Giolito admitted.<\/p>\n

The quick hook, Cora explained after a\u00a05-1 win in the series opener, was not accidental. With the Red Sox reeling (they entered the game with a season-long five-game losing streak), he wanted to manage aggressively. So it didn\u2019t matter that there was two outs and no one on base midway through a one-run game when Matt Olson was due to hit in the fifth. It was Justin Wilson\u2019s turn for a left-on-left matchup.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe way we\u2019ve been playing, every matchup matters, especially around that time, because we knew we had Whit (Garrett Whitlock) for two (innings),\u201d Cora said. \u201cGetting Olson out there, it was huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Wilson struck out Olson to finish off the fifth.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe (Giolito) gave us enough,\u201d Cora said. \u201cAt that moment, we felt Olson against Willy, that was a matchup we wanted. Willy did a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Olson has been something of a personal nemesis for Giolito since the two men first faced off in 2018. Entering the night, Olson was 7-for-10 off Giolito with four homers, two walks and two strikeouts. Olson hit an RBI single and then grounded out in his two chances to face Giolito on Friday.<\/p>\n

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There wouldn\u2019t be a third chance \u2014 and Giolito had a theory Olson\u2019s numbers against him were the reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my assumption,\u201d he said. \u201cThey don\u2019t want me to give up a homer there. I don\u2019t like it, but I\u2019m an employee so we do what we\u2019re told.\u201d<\/p>\n

Giolito,\u00a0after tossing 99 pitches in seven shutout innings Saturday against the Orioles, held the Braves to a single run on five hits while punching out three hitters Friday. He came up one out short of his second win of the season; that went to Whitlock, who pitched two scoreless frames.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like it,\u201d Giolito said with a grin. \u201cIf I had my choice, I\u2019d be throwing 100+ pitches every game. But we\u2019re in the era of analytics and looking at the third time through, looking at matchups. And the guys in our bullpen are really, really good. So that\u2019s a decision they went with there. It is what it is. The bullpen came in after me and closed the door. They did a fantastic job, as they have been.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Giolito noted, the bullpen did pitch quite well. Wilson, Whitlock, Brennan Bernardino, Greg Weissert and\u00a0Aroldis Chapman combined to hold Atlanta to one hit in 4 \u2153 scoreless frames. It helped that the bullpen was well-rested after the team spent an off day in Atlanta on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t get to finish the job,\u201d Giolito said. \u201c4 \u2154 for me, it\u2019s like I didn\u2019t really do my job. But I did enough of it to hand it off and the bullpen took care of the rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of everybody tonight. We were in a tough spot, losing five in a row, and came out today ready to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Lucas Giolito took the no decision after being lifted at 85 pitches Friday night. 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