Giolito and Purke updates on their new team debuts

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

July 03, 2013, 5:33pm

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Right-hander Lucas Giolito faced only five batters in his GCL Nationals debut in Florida. It was his first professional game since recovering from Tommy John surgery. Giolito went 1/3 of an inning, allowed one hit, two runs, one earned run, two walks and one strikeout. He walked the first two batters he faced, the Cardinals' Eliezer Alvarez and Jhohan Acevedo. Giolito was replaced by Ryan Ullmann who struck out the next two hitters to get out of the inning. No specifics were available on pitch count, but he did allow a base hit and two walks. Adding in the strikeout and a fielding error behind him and that is at least 13 to 20 pitches. But any way you look at it, that is probably not what the Nationals were envisioning for Giolito's first start, who was reportedly supposed to go two innings. Now, we wait and see if he will make his next start in five days. * Left-hander Matt Purke made his high Single-A debut for Potomac, going five innings, allowing four hits, one earned run, walking two, struck out two, one hit batter and one wild pitch. The run he allowed came in the first. With one out, Winston-Salem's Adam Heisler tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly.