Lucas Giolito's Red Sox Debut Marred by Bullpen Collapse Against Blue Jays

Lucas Giolito made his long-awaited debut for the Boston Red Sox after more than 16 months, delivering five scoreless innings and striking out seven against the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite his strong start, Giolito faltered in the sixth inning, giving up back-to-back home runs that allowed Toronto to cut into Boston's early 6-0 lead. The Red Sox bullpen was unable to hold the advantage, surrendering seven unanswered runs as the Blue Jays completed a dramatic 7-6 walk-off victory in extra innings. Both Giolito and manager Alex Cora acknowledged the positives from his performance, with Cora expressing optimism about Giolito's impact for the season if he maintains this form. The loss was especially frustrating for Boston given their commanding lead, yet Giolito's outing offered hope for stability in their starting rotation moving forward.