Cardinals v White Sox: Runs tough to find in 2-1 11 inning loss

Tonight at relatively dry Busch Stadium, strikemeister Chris Sale (3.02 ERA, 2.10 FIP, 2.36 xFIP, 12.18 K/9, 34.2 K%) and sweatmeister Lance Lynn (2.84 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 3.44 xFIP, 9.42 K/9, 24.9 K%) took their turns in the rotation under a waxing gibbous moon.

The White Sox roll into St. Louis for a quick 2 game series. Unlike Chicago's other team, these Southsiders are having a rough go of it this year. Starting the day with a record of 32-42 they're in the AL Central basement, 12.5 games behind our cross-state frenemy Royals.

Some concerning news today from Our Team:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cardinals?src=hash">#Cardinals</a> put Belisle on the DL with elbow inflammation. Promote spring standout Hartley <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stlcards?src=hash">#stlcards</a> <a href="http://t.co/tgAS8sWM3b">http://t.co/tgAS8sWM3b</a></p>&mdash; Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/615962042395160576">June 30, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Cards bring up righty Marcus Hatley to step into the breach. Jordan Walden goes to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Hatley on the 40-man roster.

Belisle's ailment is "right elbow inflammation". I stopped reading after that, took a pull from a nearby bottle of whiskey and soldiered on.

Also:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Garcia did not throw bullpen Mon. Asked if he could start Thurs without one, Matheny said answer &quot;tomorrow.&quot; Slammed fungo for punctuation.</p>&mdash; Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/615988304513789953">June 30, 2015</a></blockquote>

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and

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cooney would be ready to go Thursday. Lefty was set aside to be ready. Move would be easy ... Reliever down, Cooney up for start <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cardinals?src=hash">#cardinals</a></p>&mdash; Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/615988728444637188">June 30, 2015</a></blockquote>

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(reaches for more booze)

But this good thing happened!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USWNT?src=hash">#USWNT</a> beat Germany to advance to the <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWWC">@FIFAWWC</a> Final! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SheBelieves?src=hash">#SheBelieves</a> <a href="http://t.co/jlioQTwCuZ">pic.twitter.com/jlioQTwCuZ</a></p>&mdash; U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) <a href="https://twitter.com/ussoccer_wnt/status/616048249212813316">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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The Game

Strikeouts. So many of them. A grand total of 28 of them in this 11 inning nailbiter. Sale tied Pedro Martinez' record for consecutive 10 strikeout games at 8.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chris Sale is 1999-Pedro filthy right now: <a href="http://t.co/DFyXwkmkZn">http://t.co/DFyXwkmkZn</a> <a href="http://t.co/F40bSIRuDr">pic.twitter.com/F40bSIRuDr</a></p>&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/616064465306415104">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Runs were, indeed, tough to find but both teams had opportunities. In the top of the 2nd, the White Sox were threatening with a couple of runners. Alexei Ramirez hit a grounder to third that looked an awful lot like a nice double play in the making but Pete Kozma covering 2B boxed the throw from Mark Reynolds and all were safe. Thankfully against the bottom of the Pale Hose order, Lynn was able to strike out Tyler Flowers and get a this-time-executed GIDP from Carlos Sanchez

The White Sox scratched out their first run In the 3rd. Sale broke his career 0 for 9 batting slump and recorded his first hit. Kozma was handcuffed a bit by an Adam Eaton grounder which killed his chance to try to turn two or even get the lead runner. And then Jose Abreu hit a grounder up the middle that ricocheted off the 2B bag and crazily past Kozma. Sale scored for a 1-0 deficit. A tough inning for Warlock.

But the Birdos would get that run back in the 4th with a mammoth Randal Grichuk homer into Big Mac Land.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Randal Grichuk Big Mac Lands a Chris Sale fastball. Tie game, 1-1. FSM reports 97.5 MPH exit velocity. MLB GameDay reports 101 MPH.</p>&mdash; viva el birdos (@vivaelbirdos) <a href="https://twitter.com/vivaelbirdos/status/616055588607234048">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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...and we have an El Gallo post-home run production:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Randal Grichuk and Carlos Martinez&#39;s home run celebration is the new best thing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STLCards?src=hash">#STLCards</a> <a href="http://t.co/Ff2NZoKLFV">pic.twitter.com/Ff2NZoKLFV</a></p>&mdash; Dan Buffa (@buffa82) <a href="https://twitter.com/buffa82/status/616055486748626944">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Lynn was not super efficient tonight and was sent back out in the 6th with 101 pitches on his arm already. Of course, he didn't allow a baserunner. His line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 117 pitches

Grichuk doubled in the 6th, but was stranded at 3rd.

Randy Choate took care of the 7th in a rare full-inning appearance.

Kevin Siegrist had the 8th and Trevor Rosenthal his appointed inning in the 9th.

Seth Maness in for the 10th.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It&#39;s interesting Matheny didn&#39;t double-switch Maness into the game. Scruggs just K&#39;d. Carpenter set to leadoff. Easy to 2nd inn from Maness.</p>&mdash; Derrick Goold (@dgoold) <a href="https://twitter.com/dgoold/status/616080432522764288">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Cardinals had a little something going in their half of the 10th. Jake Petricka was set to start the inning, but with Matt Carpenter pinch-hitting for Maness, Ventura countered with lefty Zach Duke. MCarp walked and a broken bat infield clunker from Wong advanced him to 2B. Jon Jay pinch hit for Bourjos and grounded to SS. Grinder got into rundown, and ran around long enough to get Jay to 2B. But Grichuk ground out to SS to kill the threat.

Miguel Socolovich, who hadn't pitched since 6/21, gave up a Tyler Flowers home run to put the White Sox ahead 2-1.

Cardinals again threatened in the 11th, looking deep into their reservoir of #DevilMagic. With two outs, Jason Heyward lined shot into left for a single, and Yadier Molina served a single into left to put runners at 1B and 2B. Xavier Scruggs was the last hope, but he chopped a grounder to 3B to end it.

Bulletpoint

• Heck of a night for Grichuk, going 3 for 5 with just one strikeout, a double and a home run.

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=350&w=500&date=2015-06-30&team=Cardinals&dh=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="350" width = "500" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2015-06-30&team=Cardinals&dh=0&season=2015">FanGraphs</a></span>

Tomorrow Jose Quintana (3.95 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 3.86 xFIP) and endearing crab John Lackey (3.35 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 4.04 xFIP) are scheduled to handle the pitching duties. Gametime is at the entirely civilized hour of 7:15pm Central.