Diekman pitches stellar outing in first Sox appearance

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While the White Sox were relatively quiet amidst the trade deadline, they seem to have picked up one gem from the Boston Red Sox. 

The team dealt catcher Reese McGuire to the Red Sox in exchange for left-hand reliever Jake Diekman.

Diekman, 35, pitched in 44 games for Boston this season, recording a 4.23 ERA. In 38.1 innings of relief, he's struck out 51, but walked an aggressive 30 batters. He also has a higher-than-average WHIP at 1.487. 

Despite Diekman arriving at Guaranteed Rate Field hours before the game, the Sox used him immediately. He came in the sixth inning to help Lucas Giolito after he allowed two runs in five innings.

Diekman, sporting a new No. 55 jersey, impressed Sox fans. He faced three batters, striking out two with a sweeping, nasty slider and forcing Kyle Isbel to groundout. He pitched 12 pitches, eight of which were strikes. 

Joe Kelly, Matt Foster and Tanner Banks cleaned up the game to help Giolito record his seventh win of the season and lead the Sox to a 9-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. The series is tied at one win a piece going into the series finale on Wednesday. 

Diekman has lofty goals as the second left-handed reliever on the active roster. 

"My goal is to pitch as much as possible," Diekman said before Tuesday's game. "I feel like you earn your paycheck that way. If they want to throw me 70 times, then do it." 

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