Grichuk’s Ninth-Inning Homer Sinks Cardinals in 6-5 Loss

Grichuk’s Ninth-Inning Homer Sinks Cardinals in 6-5 Loss

Rookie catcher Leo Bernal gave St. Louis a late lead, but Riley O’Brien could not close it out

ST. LOUIS — On a night devoted to celebrating two of the greatest players in Cardinals history, St. Louis could not close out the game.

Former Cardinal Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer off Riley O’Brien in the ninth inning Saturday, lifting the Chicago White Sox to a 6-5 comeback victory at Busch Stadium.

The loss spoiled a memorable night for rookie catcher Leo Bernal, whose 421-foot home run in the eighth had restored a one-run Cardinals lead. It also followed a pregame ceremony in which Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and the late Bill Sherdel were inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

St. Louis carried a 5-4 lead into the ninth, but O’Brien walked Brooks Baldwin Doyle before Grichuk drove a pitch over the right-field wall. The 358-foot homer turned Bernal’s potential game-winner into a footnote and handed O’Brien his eighth loss of the season.

Bryan Hudson retired the Cardinals in order in the bottom of the ninth for his eighth save.

The defeat dropped St. Louis to 73-76 and evened the three-game series at one victory apiece. Chicago improved to 76-72 and strengthened its hold on first place in the American League Central. ESPN box score

The Cardinals built a 3-0 advantage in the second inning against a White Sox pitching plan that began with left-hander Sean Newcomb as an opener.

Nolan Gorman walked and Thomas Saggese reached before Masyn Winn doubled into the left-field corner, driving home both runners. José Fermín followed with a sacrifice fly that brought Winn home.

St. Louis added another run in the fourth when Gorman scored on Nathan Church’s two-out double to right, giving the Cardinals a 4-0 lead.

Kyle Leahy did his part, working three scoreless innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. The right-hander allowed two hits, struck out four and did not issue a walk, throwing 26 of his 38 pitches for strikes.

Cooper Hjerpe, however, could not protect the lead.

Making his first appearance at Busch Stadium after winning his major-league debut at Colorado, Hjerpe struggled badly with his command. The rookie left-hander allowed four runs on two hits and four walks in one inning. He also hit two batters and needed 52 pitches—only 25 strikes—to record three outs.

Hjerpe escaped the fourth after allowing one run, but Chicago erased the remainder of the lead in the fifth. Munetaka Murakami drew a bases-loaded walk, Grichuk brought home a run by grounding into a double play and Tristan Peters tied the game with a two-out single.

Church prevented further damage by throwing Peters out as he tried to stretch the hit into a double.

It was a sharp reversal for Hjerpe after his encouraging debut in Colorado. His breaking pitches still produced three strikeouts, but he could not consistently reach the strike zone. Major-league hitters do not require many invitations, and the White Sox accepted every one he offered.

Luis Gastelum, Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek and George Soriano combined to keep Chicago scoreless over the next four innings, allowing the Cardinals to regain the lead.

Bernal stepped to the plate against Grant Taylor to begin the eighth and drove a pitch deep into the right-center-field seats.

The 421-foot blast was Bernal’s third major-league home run and his first at Busch Stadium. It came one night after the rookie collected three hits and two RBIs in his first home game with the Cardinals.

For a young catcher playing in front of a near-capacity crowd gathered to honor Molina and Pujols, it was the kind of moment that should have been remembered as the defining swing of the night.

Instead, Grichuk supplied the final one.

Bernal finished 1-for-4, while Winn went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Church continued his strong series by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and an outfield assist. Gorman reached twice and scored two runs.

The Cardinals collected eight hits and drew five walks, but they struck out 12 times. Joshua Báez went 0-for-4, and the first four hitters in the St. Louis lineup combined to go hitless in 11 at-bats.

The Cardinals spent the afternoon honoring Pujols, Molina and Sherdel—three men representing vastly different eras but the same winning tradition.

Pujols and Molina built their reputations on October baseball, late-inning execution and finishing games. That made Saturday’s result feel especially bitter.

St. Louis received three scoreless innings from Leahy, another big hit from Bernal and three hits from Church. The Cardinals led by four runs in the fourth inning and by one entering the ninth.

They still walked away with a loss.

That has been the dividing line too often this season. The young players continue to offer reasons for optimism, but the Cardinals have not consistently converted those performances into victories.

Saturday night provided both sides of that story: Bernal gave the crowd a glimpse of the future, while another late bullpen failure delivered a familiar ending.

Final: White Sox 6, Cardinals 5
Winning pitcher: Jordan Hicks (3-2)
Losing pitcher: Riley O’Brien (3-8)
Save: Bryan Hudson (8)
Cardinals record: 73-76
Attendance: 45,040
Source: MLB Gameday