Gamethread: Cardinals at White Sox

The Chicago White Sox (38-52) will look to steal the series against the St. Louis Cardinals (36-52) this afternoon, hoping to build momentum off last night’s chaotic win. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster being at the game last night, getting whiplash multiple times before Graveman was finally able to shut it down in the ninth.

While still down a starting pitcher, Touki Toussaint will make his third start this year, and his fourth appearance for the South Siders. Toussaint typically will throw a curveball majority of the time, along with his fastball that averages close to 94 mph. In the two games he has started in 2023 (one with the Sox, one with the Guardians), Touki had nearly identical underwhelming starts, where he lasted 3 ²⁄₃ innings and gave up two runs on three hits.

Statmuse

His main problem is that he walks guys WAY too much, perhaps why Cleveland was so quick to cut him loose. In those two starts alone, he walked NINE batters, and he has posted a whopping 22% walk rate — woof. St. Louis has been the White Sox of the National League this year, struggling to win while having what are supposed to be talented rosters. However, the Cardinals have been batting very well as a team over the last week — which we witnessed just last night as the Cards blasted almost twice the hits as the Sox (16), featuring a pair of Nolan Arenado bombs. Let’s hope we get a lights out version of Touki instead.

Speaking of hot hitting, St. Louis righthander, Miles Mikolas, may have his hands full with a (potentially, but rarely) hot-hitting South Side lineup. Mikolas relies mostly on his sinker, throwing it about 28% of the time, and his fastball speed is fairly similar to Touki’s, averaging at 93 mph. Ideally, he leaves one of those hanging over the plate for one of the South Siders to take deep.

Zach Remillard is leading off for the White Sox today, and as I’m sure many groaned seeing a lineup like this from Pedro Grifol, he really is one of the hottest and most successful hitters right now. Remillard tops the team with a .905 OPS, and helped lead the White Sox to victory in Friday’s game. All-Star Luis Robert Jr. is right there with him, with a .904 OPS — and he continues to mash homers, tied for third in all of MLB. Jake Burger has been in a slump recently, but he blasted another Burger Bomb last night, and it was absolutely electric. Could he possibly be back?

Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are always dangerous in the Cardinals lineup, but Willson Contreras has been leading the team over the last week, with an insane 1.734 OPS, slugging 1.067!!! Please, Touki, don’t leave anything over the middle of the plate, I beg you. Arenado just racked up a pair of dingers Friday night, and he’s right up there with a 1.343 OPS over the same time period.

Here’s how St. Louis will line ‘em up today:

Catch the action in the usual places on NBCSC and ESPN radio AM 1000. Let’s get another W today!