The top prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com made his way to Canal Park on Monday and did a number on the RubberDucks in a 3-2 win by the Harrisburg Senators.
It was the second loss in a row at home for the Ducks and only the fourth time the team has lost in Akron in 23 games, but served notice just how good Lucas Giolito might eventually be.
Giolito (3-2) didn’t have pinpoint control — he walked four batters in the first two innings — but when he needed it, the right-hander was spectacular.
“There’s a reason he gets the attention he does get,” Ducks manager Dave Wallace said. “It’s well deserved. I thought our guys battled, but couldn’t get that hit when we really needed it.
“He’s got an electric fastball. He’s a guy that can get away with some mistakes. That breaking ball, when he throws it right and it’s how he wants it, it’s one of the best ones I’ve seen.”
Giolito allowed only three hits in a six-inning performance. Nellie Rodriguez had a double, but other than a bloop hit by Joe Sever, a run-scoring single by Bryson Myles and sacrifice fly by Eric Stamets, the Ducks (35-15) didn’t do much.
Giolito gave up two runs — one earned — and struck out six and showed incredible poise in his last inning of work.
The aforementioned double by Rodriguez and an outfield error put runners on first and second with no outs. Those runners moved up on a sacrifice by Eric Haase, but Giolito induced an infield fly from Jordan Smith before getting Sever to ground out to short to end the threat.
“You could tell starting out he was having some trouble finding it and unfortunately I think we missed our opportunity” Myles said. “Once he kind of settled in, he was everything everybody said he is.
“He’s got that electric fastball and big breaking ball. He’s a big guy. He pitched well. He made pitches whenever he needed to. I think once or twice we had runners in scoring position with less than two outs and he pitched his way out of it. You just have to tip your hat to him and just pray that the next time we get to him we take care of our business.”
The RubberDucks activated Rob Kaminsky off the disabled list. He was limited in a 47-pitch, 26-strike outing. Kaminsky went 2⅓ innings, giving up three hits, two runs — one earned — with a walk and four strikeouts.
D.J. Brown (3-1) took the loss in relief. The right-hander went five innings, allowing one run on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
“I felt good,” Kaminsky said. “It was nice to get back and see some hitters. I haven’t seen them in three weeks. I wish we could have pulled it out, but we’ll get back at it tomorrow.”
With Kaminsky back on the roster, the RubberDucks promoted Coles Sulser (1-1, 4.31) to Columbus.
In another roster move, Clint Frazier (.313, 17 RBI) will come off the seven-day disabled list in time for Tuesday’s game against the Altoona Curve. Myles (.238, 20) has been promoted to the Clippers.
Shawn Morimando (8-0, 1.65) will pitch Tuesday (6:35 p.m.) for the Ducks and David Whitehead (2-4, 5.45) is the scheduled pitcher for the Curve.