Gamethread: Cardinals at White Sox

For the first time, Lucas Giolito will be facing off against his HS classmate, Jack Flaherty. This should be a fun matchup between two of the best teams in the majors. Oh, it’s also going to be the night in which Joe West umpires his record-setting 5,376th game. I look forward to the video reel in his honor— may it be filled with missed calls and ejections.

Back to the players on the field, the White Sox are hoping to provide Giolito plenty of run support against a starter that has been absolutely dominant this season. Flaherty has yet to lose a start while putting up an incredible .99 WHIP through 53 innings of work. La Russa’s lineup will look largely familiar, albeit with Zack Collins filling in for on-base king Yasmani Grandal.

For the St. Louis Cardinals, OF Harrison Bader hit the 10-day IL with a right rib hairline fracture, so Max Moroff will start at 2B while Tommy Edman moves to the outfield. Outside of the heart of the lineup that features Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Yadier Molina, there isn’t a ton to strike fear into the hearts of Sox pitching, especially if Giolito comes close to his most recent performance. Here is the rest of the Cardinals’ lineup:

Game time is at 7:10 pm, and viewers can catch the action on NBC Sports Chicago and MLB.TV. As usual, WMVP 1000 AM will have the radio coverage.