So Much For the Afterglow: Bucs No-Hit By Giolito In 4-0 Loss

Lucas Giolito spun a quiet first while Steven Brault survived a couple of walks with no damage. Pittsburgh went 1-2-3 again in the second. The Sox opened with an infield hit, an ump-ruled bopped batter (replay showed the pitch was actually a foul off the knob of the bat; so much for review) and walk. A grounder and couple more singles made it 3-0 before a 4-6-3 DP ended the round. It was nine up, nine down in the third for the Pirates. A double and walk put Brault back in hot water; another single was mitigated by a Jarrod Dyson-Josh Bell-JT Riddle throw out of a Sox who took too wide of a turn at third. But a wild pitch moved the remaining pair up, and a sac fly made it 4-0. Pittsburgh drew a walk in the fourth; Chicago banged a double of Nick Tropeano but neither team cashed in. 

Nick Tropeano left a good first impression - photo via MLB.com

Giolito cruised through the fifth; Nick was banged for another two-bagger but no blood was spilled. Both sides were retired in order in the sixth. Nada for the Bucs in the seventh (if you're counting, that's no hits, one walk and 10 K for Giolito) while Tropeano kept on dealin'. The Pirates continued to flail in the eighth, then Dovy Neverauskas was waved in and put up a zero, only touched up for a single. Giolito TCB and polished off the Bucs, getting the last out on Erik Gonzalez's ripped, hooking liner that was run down by RF Adam Engel, who maybe was more nervous than Giolito. The first no-no of 2020 was a gem - 101 pitches, 13 K, one walk and a quick two-hour, 23 minute game. It was pretty routine, too - SS Tim Anderson made the only really outstanding defensive play, taking a hit from Bryan Reynolds, with a nice snag of the one-hop throw by Jose Abreu.

Notes:

• Erik Gonzalez was the only Pirates starter to not strike out; he also was the only baserunner, drawing a walk.
• This was the 13th Pittsburgh team to be no-hit. The last time it happened was in 2015 against Max Scherzer. (S/O to Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic)
• Ouch. Tyler Glasnow fanned 13 in seven innings and nine of the last 10 batters he faced, giving up two runs on five hits to the O's. His record: 1-1/5.14; he still has his moments, both ways.