The St. Louis Cardinals showcased their grit and firepower, sweeping the Chicago White Sox in a thrilling doubleheader at Guaranteed Rate Field on Thursday. With clutch hits, timely homers, and a knack for capitalizing on Chicago’s late-inning stumbles, the Cards extended the Sox’s losing streak to eight games, improving their own standing with 5-4 and 8-6 victories. Rookie Andre Granillo got his 1st-career win in the 1st game of today’s doubleheader and his 1st-career save in the 2nd game. Something that has been done by one other player, Alex Colome in 2019.
Game 1: Contreras’ Blast Sparks Comeback
The Cardinals struck first in the opener, with Willson Contreras delivering a sacrifice fly in a bases-loaded first inning against rookie starter Sean Burke. Though Burke settled in, fanning seven with a 97-mph fastball over 5 ⅓ innings, St. Louis stayed patient. In the sixth, reliever Brandon Eisert’s intentional walk backfired, loading the bases and allowing a run to score on a free pass.
The game’s turning point came in the eighth. Contreras crushed a 404-foot, two-run homer off reliever Cam Booser, who then faltered with a throwing error and an RBI single to pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo. The rally gave the Cardinals a 5-4 lead they held onto, despite Chicago’s young bats—like Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth—keeping it close with timely hits.
Game 2: Arenado and Nootbaar Power Late Surge
The nightcap saw the Cardinals’ offense erupt early. In the third, Alec Burleson and Nolan Arenado launched back-to-back homers off Rule 5 rookie Mike Vasil, fueling a four-run inning that set the tone. Vasil struck out six, but the early damage gave St. Louis a cushion.
Chicago fought back, tying the game in the seventh on Andrew Benintendi’s 401-foot grand slam. The Sox threatened again in the eighth, but rookie catcher Edgar Quero’s pickoff of a potential go-ahead run kept the Cards alive. In the 10th, Arenado’s RBI single and Lars Nootbaar’s homer sealed an 8-6 victory, completing the sweep.
Cardinals’ Resilience Shines
The doubleheader showcased St. Louis’ ability to exploit opponents’ mistakes and deliver in high-pressure moments. Contreras, Arenado, and Nootbaar provided the power, while Pozo’s pinch-hit heroics and smart baserunning kept Chicago at bay. The White Sox, now 23-52 and 4-20 in one-run games, showed fight but couldn’t match the Cardinals’ late-game execution.
St. Louis’ sweep underscored their edge in a series defined by small margins. As the White Sox rebuild stumbles, the Cardinals head into their next series with momentum, proving they can lean on veteran leadership and timely hitting to close out tight games.
