CHICAGO—Through his six innings Wednesday, Chicago White Sox lefthander Carlos Rodon struck out 10 Cardinals, walked none and hit more batters than he allowed hits.
This generally does not sound like a recipe for a Cardinals victory other than that Rodon, who reaches 97 on the gun, decided to throw Tommy Edman a 1-1 changeup in the third inning. Edman muscled up to the tune of 436 feet and 113 mph exit velocity to left center as he cracked his third homer of the season for the Cardinals’ first hit and the game’s first run.
It was the only hit the Cardinals had off Rodon, who threw a no-hitter on April 14. It was the only hit the Cardinals had all day until Edman came to bat again in the eighth inning against lefthander Aaron Bummer.
On this occasion, Edman ripped a pitch 430 feet to left center and the Cardinals had their second hit and second run. The Cardinals turned a single by Paul Goldschmidt, a double by Nolan Arenado and a two-run single by Edmundo Sosa off Jose Ruiz into some ninth-inning protection.
Owing to starter John Gant’s usual resourcefulness and a rested, crack bullpen, this scattered offense stood up for a 4-0 victory, giving the Cardinals one win in this three-game series and keeping them barely above .500 in the 25-season history of interleague competition at 200-198.
This triumph did not come without some suspected skullduggery.
Umpiring crew chief Joe West, who the night before had set the record for games worked by an umpire, ordered that Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos change hats after Gallegos had arrived on the mound to replace Genesis Cabrera with runners at first and second and one out in the seventh.
Cardinals manager Mike Shildt, who came onto the scene, apparently offered his hat as a replacement and was ejected by West, who had the batboy take Gallegos’ hat into the umpires’ quarters for inspection.
Gallegos, given a new hat by the Cardinals’ training staff, seemed unfazed by the nonsense. He struck out both Jose Abreu and Yermin Mercedes, who left all sorts of runners on base all day.
The Cardinals, who committed a season-high three errors to shoot themselves in the foot early in Tuesday’s game, got into a hole in the first inning Wednesday.
Gant threw off-line to second base on a potential double play ball hit to him on which he bobbled the ball and then made the recovery but didn’t hit second baseman Edman at the bag as shortstop Sosa, behind Edman, took the throw wide of the bag.
That loaded the bases with one out. But left fielder Justin Williams snared Mercedes’ liner and cut down sliding Adam Eaton at the plate. Earlier in the inning, right fielder Lane Thomas had retreated near the wall to track down Nick Madrigal’s long drive.
Mercedes came to bat with the bases loaded again in the Chicago third. This time there were two outs after Gant had pitched around reigning American League Most Valuable Player Abreu, walking him on four pitches. Gant won out again, retiring Mercedes on a foul pop to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The big out had come with men at second and third and one out when Gant had struck out Yoan Moncada.
A similar scenario ensued in the Chicago fifth. A leadoff single by Nick Madrigal and a two-out single by Abreu brought Gant and Mercedes together again.
Gant was three for three after inducing the White Sox DH to hit into an inning-ending forceout.
But when third baseman Moroff threw high and wide of first baseman Goldschmidt, allowing Andrew Vaughn to reach safely to open the sixth, Gant was replaced by lefthander Cabrera. The Cardinals lost a challenge that Goldschmidt had tagged Vaughn as he approached first base.
After a sacrifice bunt by Zack Collins, Vaughn was called out at third base as he tried to advance on a Cabrera wild pitch that sailed past catcher Andrew Knizner and hit the backstop, only to bounce back to Knizer, who fired to Moroff at third.
That call, too, was challenged, and the White Sox got the favor of this one, too.
But Cabrera won the inning, striking out Leury Garcia and retiring Danny Mendick on a popup that Edman ran down in short right field.
