Lucas Giolito Shines as White Sox Beat A's 4-1 in Game 1 of Wild Card Series

As the Chicago White Sox closed the regular season with seven losses in their last eight games, it looked increasingly like they'd be fodder for early playoff elimination.

Lucas Giolito had other plans.

Giolito no-hit the Athletics for six innings as part of a two-hit effort in seven-plus frames, leading the White Sox to a 4-1 win over Oakland in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card matchup Tuesday at Oakland Coliseum. The White Sox are one win away from advancing to the division series. 

Giolito carried a perfect game into the top of the seventh before Tommy La Stella hit a single to break up the potentially historic day. 

Jose Abreu went 2-for-4 and was one of three White Sox players to hit a home run to help Giolito on the offensive side. Yasmani Grandal and Adam Engel also went yard.

Notable Stats

White Sox

P Lucas Giolito: 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

SS Tim Anderson: 3-for-4, 1 R

1B Jose Abreu: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R

DH Yasmani Grandal: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

RF Adam Engel: 2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

Athletics

P Jesus Luzardo: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 K

SS Marcus Semien: 0-for-4, 1 K

1B Matt Olson: 0-for-4, 3 K

Giolito Has to Stay True Ace for White Sox to Make World Series Run

Giolito's Game 1 performance was among the best outings we'll see all postseason. His ability to replicate that dominance is the only way the White Sox will have a real shot of advancing in longer series.

The White Sox have the bats to strike fear into any opposing staff. Their 306 runs in the regular season were second in the American League, behind only the New York Yankees. 

Jose Abreu is probably going to win AL MVP, Tim Anderson is a walking base hit, and Eloy Jimenez will return at some point during these playoffs. That's more than enough to keep the White Sox competitive with any team, all without mentioning Luis Robert or Yasmani Grandal, the latter of whom went yard Tuesday.

The concern has always been about the pitching, particularly whether starters not named Giolito or Dallas Keuchel can hold up. Keuchel, who has been brilliant in 2020, should give the White Sox an excellent chance of advancing to the ALDS.

How the White Sox handle that third spot could define their playoff run. If Giolito and Keuchel remain dominant, the White Sox could use a committee approach and instantly be as formidable as any team in the sport. 

If Giolito's start is any indication, the White Sox could be a bigger threat than many expected. 

Oh No, It's the Existential Dread of Athletics Playoff Baseball

I don't really need to say more than that.

This is the 11th time the A's have been in the playoffs since the turn of the century. They have advanced past their first round exactly once, in 2006, when they were swept by the Detroit Tigers in the ALCS. Their last three appearances have been Wild Card Game exits, and now they're a game away from a two-game ouster in this new best-of-three format.

There's not any real fair takeaway from any of this. The A's playoff failures span no less than a handful of eras in terms of talent. The franchise deserves credit for being continuously competitive despite regularly boasting one of the sport's smallest payrolls.

That said, in the last 25 years, the Rays have made a World Series. The Marlins have hoisted a couple of titles. The Royals went to back-to-back World Series and won one. 

The pressure to perform in September and October isn't going away until the A's make a run.