Giolito fires back at Donaldson, White Sox beat Twins 7-6

CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito heard what Josh Donaldson said, and he was none too pleased.

The ace right-hander had something to say, too.

Giolito lobbed an expletive-laced response in Donaldson's direction after the slugger appeared to yell “Not sticky anymore” after a first-inning homer, overshadowing Gavin Sheets' successful big league debut for the Chicago White Sox in a 7-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Giolito (6-5) pitched six-plus innings of three-run ball in his first win in a month. But it was his postgame message that will live on long after anything that happened in his 100th career start.

Giolito surrendered a two-run drive to Donaldson on his fifth pitch. Donaldson’s apparent comment came as he rubbed his hands together while making his way to the Twins’ dugout after his 12th homer.

Donaldson has been one of baseball’s most outspoken sluggers when it comes to pitchers using sticky substances, something the league recently started cracking down on.

“I saw it after the fact. He’s a (expletive) pest," Giolito said. “That’s kind of a classless move.”

Giolito said if Donaldson wants to talk, he should talk to the pitcher's face.

"Don’t go across home plate and do all that, just come to me,” he said.

Donaldson was not made available to the media after the game.

Sheets had two hits and two RBIs, helping Chicago increase its AL Central lead to 2 1/2 games over Cleveland. The White Sox had dropped seven of nine.

The Twins scored three times in the seventh, including RBI doubles by Nelson Cruz and Max Kepler, and then pulled within one on Jorge Polanco’s run-scoring groundout in the ninth.

But Liam Hendriks earned his 21st save when he retired Alex Kirilloff on a fly ball to center, stranding a...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Giolito-fires-back-at-Donaldson-White-Sox-beat-16283382.php