Two outs, a 1-2 count, and a division lead on the line
Randal Grichuk spent the early part of his career in a St. Louis uniform. On Saturday night he ended a four-game Chicago White Sox losing streak against the club that brought him to the majors, driving a Riley O’Brien sinker over the right-field fence with two outs in the ninth for a 6-5 win.
The count was 1-2. Outfielder Victor Scott II went up for the ball and lost his glove over the wall on the way down. It was Grichuk’s 13th home run of the season and it erased a tie-breaking solo shot from Cardinals rookie Leo Bernal, hit off Grant Taylor an inning earlier.
The ninth began with Kyle Teel drawing a leadoff walk. Brenton Doyle came in to run for him and stole second on a pitchout with one out, initially called out until shortstop Masyn Winn dropped Bernal’s throw on the tag. One out later the game turned.
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A lead that was five and a half games not long ago
Chicago are 76-72 and lead Cleveland by a game and a half in the AL Central after the Guardians lost 4-3 at Minnesota. That margin stood at five and a half games before the White Sox dropped nine of twelve. For a franchise that lost at least 100 games in three consecutive seasons, the arithmetic of a September slide carries a particular weight.
The night itself was untidy. Chicago went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine, having been handed seven walks and three hit batters by Cardinals pitching. In the series opener they went 0-for-8 in those spots and left twelve on base. Luis Castillo gave up three runs on four hits and three walks across 2 2/3 innings of relief.
Jordan Hicks, another former Cardinal, walked a batter and recorded one out for the win. Bryan Hudson took the last three outs for his eighth save, finishing with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Jordan Walker.
St. Louis are running out of September
O’Brien blew his eighth save in 44 chances. The Cardinals are 73-76, have lost six of their last nine and sit seven and a half games behind the final National League wild-card place. Winn drove in two runs, Nathan Church collected three hits, and none of it counted for much.
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