Chicago White Sox lose a classic pitchers’ duel — Lucas Giolito vs. Shane Bieber — to Cleveland Indians: ‘Hell of a battle on both sides’

Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito figured he had to be on top of his game Tuesday with Shane Bieber going for the Cleveland Indians.

“I knew going in, Bieber won the Cy Young last year, he’ll probably make it pretty difficult on our hitters, so I’ve got to try and bring my best stuff and put up as many zeroes as I can,” Giolito said during a conference call Tuesday. “Makes it exciting.”

Giolito and Bieber provided a pitching clinic Tuesday in front of 7,102 at Guaranteed Rate Field in a thriller that went to extra innings.

The Indians scored twice in the 10th and held on to beat the Sox 2-0.

“It was not a good night for hitters,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “Both of them were making just high-quality pitches. The whole night, good hitters (in) both lineups. It’s disappointing but it’s not difficult to admire talent like that.”

Roberto Pérez broke the scoreless tie with an RBI infield hit against Sox reliever Garrett Crochet. Pérez hit a grounder to deep short, and Leury García made a diving stop but had no play. Franmil Reyes scored the game’s first run.

“That one in the hole, for crying out loud, if that’s anywhere near an infielder, that’s a double play,” La Russa said. “The game drives you nuts.”

Pinch hitter Amed Rosario followed with an RBI double.

The Sox went down in order against James Karinchak in the bottom of the 10th. Jake Lamb flied out to the warning track in right for the final out.

It was a well-played game throughout, headlined by the pitching of Bieber and Giolito, who allowed three hits in seven-plus scoreless innings.

“First game back (at home) in a new season, a full season, as opposed to the 60 (games in 2020), having the fans back in attendance, that was huge,” Giolito said. “Hearing the crowd stand up and cheer in the two-strike counts, it just makes it more fun.

“This was a lot of fun tonight. Unfortunately it didn’t go our way in the end, but I thought it was a hell of a battle on both sides.”

He struck out eight and walked three, exiting after walking Pérez to lead off the eighth with his 107th pitch.

“You saw what Gio will do given an opportunity matched up against one of the best,” La Russa said. “In the end that’s what makes the great ones and good ones in this league who are productive: They compete.”

Bieber allowed three hits, struck out 11 and walked one in nine scoreless innings for the win. He threw 113 pitches.

“He and Lucas the same, they can go through a lineup three, four, five times because they have weapons to pitch them different,” La Russa said. “They go to all four corners of the plate with their fastball, they have numerous off-speed pitches and they can mix and match.”

Giolito struck out at least one batter in each of the first seven innings. Bieber fanned five straight Sox batters stretching from the final out of the third to the first out of the fifth.

“His curveball’s really good, command, command of his fastball, both sides of the plate, top and bottom,” Giolito said of Bieber. “He was throwing that slider a lot tonight, it looked like. I haven’t seen too much of that pitch, but that looked good too. He looked like he had his best stuff. I wouldn’t say I had my best stuff, but I was trying to pitch like I did.”

The Sox had just three hits — singles by José Abreu, Danny Mendick and Adam Eaton — as they fell a game below .500 (5-6).

“It’s not discouraging at all,” Giolito said. “We’ve played how many games now? Eleven? There’s a lot of season left. We’ve got to get some guys healthy. I can’t discredit our offense or our defense. Defense was fantastic tonight. Offense, they were trying, it was just against a really, really good pitcher.

“We gave it our best shot, kept it close. In the extra innings, didn’t go our way there. But I think the loss tonight, not too much to worry about. We just get back on it tomorrow and try to win a ballgame.”

The series continues Wednesday with Carlos Rodón scheduled to pitch for the Sox. He was originally scheduled for Monday’s opener but was a late scratch because of an upset stomach.

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