CHICAGO — An already makeshift Cardinals starting pitching rotation took another hit on Friday night, just three days prior to the MLB All-Star break. Left-hander Jordan Montgomery, arguably their most reliable pitcher of late, left the game with a hamstring injury.
On top of that, a Cardinals bullpen desperately needing to get to the break couldn’t hold a four-run cushion. The hits just kept coming against the Cardinals as they suffered an 8-7 loss in a slugfest of a series opener against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Cardinals (36-52) held a five-run lead through the first four innings, but Montgomery’s injury helped spur a White Sox rally that included eight runs in a three-inning stretch.
Relievers JoJo Romero (three runs, two earned), Andre Pallante (two runs), and rookie Kyle Leahy (two runs) were all part of the collapse after Montgomery’s injury.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the game might not have been the most critical loss of the night.
Montgomery had won a season-best four consecutive decisions, and he’d posted an ERA of 1.38 in his previous five starts.
The Cardinals lost veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright to the injured list earlier this week due to a shoulder strain. Since Wednesday, the Cardinals have recalled three pitchers — Dakota Hudson, Zack Thompson and Leahy — to the majors to provide depth for the pitching staff.
Leahy made his major league debut in the seventh inning. He allowed two runs on two hits, including a home run, and two walks in 2/3 innings. Leahy also struck out two.
Cardinals All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado’s 24th career multi-home run game highlighted a 16-hit offensive day in a loss. He went 2 for 5 with two home runs and four RBIs. His second home run gave the Cardinals a 7-6 lead after the White Sox rallied from a five-run deficit to take the lead.
Rookie catcher Ivan Herrera also went 2 for 4. He drove in a pair of runs and scored a run.
Brendan Donovan (3 for 5) and Paul Goldschmidt (3 for 5) had three hits apiece, while Lars Nootbaar had two hits (2 for 5).
The Cardinals put the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the eighth and ninth innings.
Montgomery leaves with an injury
With a 2-1 count on batter Elvis Andrus, one out in the inning and runner on second base, Montgomery left the game flanked by team manager Oliver Marmol and head athletic trainer Adam Olsen.
Montgomery, who didn’t allow a hit through his first two innings, went into the fifth inning having held the White Sox to one hit. He’d struck out five and hadn’t allowed a run.
However, the outlook of his outing changed drastically in a three-batter span in the fifth.
Montgomery gave up a one-out home run to Jake Burger on a sinker that he elevated and left over the heart of the plate.
The next batter, Zach Remillard, ripped a double down the third-base line just past the glove of Nolan Arenado.
Two pitches into the at-bat against Andrus, Montgomery appeared to fidget with his right leg and reached for the back of his leg. He threw one more pitch to Andrus that went well wide of the strike zone and Herrera got up from behind the plate and motioned to the dugout as he approached the mound.
The meeting between Montgomery, Marmol and Olsen did not last long before all three walked off the field together.
Romero entered the game to replace Montgomery. He got the final two outs of the inning and kept a four-run lead intact for the time being.
Waking up from a sleepy trip to the South Side
The Cardinals wrapped up a four-game series on Thursday night in Miami and then traveled from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central Time Zone. They arrived at their hotel in Chicago around 2:20 a.m. CT.
The Cardinals had one hit in the first inning, but the fresh-faced duo of Jordan Walker and Herrera, both rookies, provided a jolt of offense in the second inning.
Walker lined a double off the left-field wall with an exit velocity of 102 miles per hour, and then he scored on a two-out RBI double in the ground into center field by Herrera.
Herrera’s double started a string of three consecutive hits for the Cardinals. Carlson’s single to left field allowed Herrera to score, and Donovan followed with another single.
The Cardinals led 2-0 after the top of the second.
Not in the cards for Cease
White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease allowed more runs in the first three innings against the Cardinals than he had in his previous two starts combined.
Cease, a right-hander, was the runner up for the 2022 American League Cy Young Award. He entered Friday night with a record of 3-3 with a 4.10 ERA.
He’d produced a track record of strong starts in June and July during his career. In six previous starts this season since the start of June, he’d posted a 2.65 ERA, held opponents to a .210 batting average and 10 runs in 34 innings. He’d also struck out 47 batters compared to 13 walks during that span.
Yet the Cardinals pounced on Cease for two runs in the second and three in the third to build a five-run lead against the right-hander before he got to the fourth inning.
The Cardinals’ three-run third inning included a two-run home run by Arenado, his 18th of the season. Cease also gave up a two-out RBI to Herrera.
Through his first 18 starts of the season, Cease had held opposing hitters to a .232 average with runners in scoring position and .184 average with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Cease allowed five runs on 11 hits and eight strikeouts in six innings in a no decision.
Herrera dives right in
Last season in his first taste of the majors, Herrera had two hits — both singles — in 22 plate appearances (18 at-bats). He matched that hit total in his first two at-bats on Friday night against the White Sox.
Herrera followed his second-inning RBI double with an infield single in the third inning that drove in a run.
Each of his first two hits came with two outs, and they also drove in runs. He’d had one RBI in 11 games in the majors last season.
