CHICAGO — Nick Lodolo struck out 10 in 5 2/3 innings in his first big league start in almost a year, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago White Sox 5-0 on Saturday.
Cincinnati scored five runs in the second against Garrett Crochet, and Lodolo took over from there. The 6-foot-6 left-hander allowed one hit — Robbie Grossman’s infield single leading off the sixth — and walked one. He also hit two batters.
“Today was about as good as you can do, especially your first time out,” Reds manager David Bell said. “You could tell all the work that he's been doing; it paid off.”
Cincinnati slugger Elly De La Cruz went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, but he walked in the ninth to reach safely for the 19th consecutive game dating to last season. He hit a three-run homer in an 11-1 victory over the White Sox in the series opener on Friday night.
Chicago finished with two hits. The White Sox have scored a major league-low 30 runs during their 2-12 start.
“Our pitching was good,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “We just didn’t do anything offensively.”
Kevin Pillar singled with one out in the ninth for Chicago's last hit. But he was promptly picked off first by reliever Brent Suter.
A portion of what was left of the Guaranteed Rate Field crowd of 22,598 then started chanting “Sell the team! Sell the team!” — directing its frustration at owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
“For us right now ... just a tough skid,” Crochet said.
It was Lodolo’s first major league appearance since May 6, also against the White Sox. He made seven starts for the Reds in 2023 before he was sidelined by a stress reaction in his left tibia. He began this season on the 15-day injured list because of a left calf issue.
“I was anxious to get out there, for sure,” Lodolo said. “I settled in there pretty good, and then I just had to keep going.”
The 26-year-old Lodolo (1-0) got some defensive help when Stuart Fairchild robbed Gavin Sheets of extra bases with a diving catch in the gap in right-center in the fourth. Spencer Steer made a sliding grab to take a hit away from Sheets in the sixth.
Reds center fielder Bubba Thompson also made a great catch on Martín Maldonado's deep drive in the eighth.
“Great plays, starting with Stuart,” Bell said. "Just thought he had no chance off the bat, and he just continued to track it and do everything he could to make that play.”
Fairchild and Sheets played together at Wake Forest.
“Unfortunately the guy in right who made that catch was my college roommate," Sheets said. “I’m going to have some words for him tonight.”
Cincinnati got each of its four hits in the second. Luke Maile's bases-loaded single drove in Jeimer Candelario and Fairchild. After Thompson struck out for the second out, Jonathan India walked and Steer cleared the bases with a liner to left.
Crochet (1-2) struck out a career-high 10 in 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander issued three walks after he had one in 18 innings over his first three starts of the season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: LHP Sam Moll (shoulder impingement) is expected to make a rehab appearance with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.
White Sox: OF Eloy Jiménez (left adductor strain) took live batting practice against RHP John Brebbia (calf strain). Jiménez also ran on the field.
UP NEXT
Graham Ashcraft (1-1, 5.40 ERA) starts on Sunday for Cincinnati, and fellow right-hander Michael Soroka (0-1, 6.14 ERA) pitches for Chicago in the series finale. Soroka is looking for his first win with the White Sox after he was acquired in a November trade with Atlanta.
