The only development of this game I caught live was the fireworks after Jake Burger's solo shot in the fifth inning, for I was at Josh's wedding reception in Bridgeport.
Bullet-point recap:
*The Cardinals are the National League White Sox, as evidenced by losing to the American League White Sox despite leading 5-0 through four and outhitting the Sox 16-9.
*The White Sox made it 5-1 on the Burger homer, but they didn't string together a rally until the sixth, when they suddenly exploded for five runs.
*Jordan Montgomery's departure was a big reason why. He left with a hamstring issue after a strong 4⅓ innings, and the White Sox pounced on the first three Cardinals relievers out of the chute.
*Two mistakes by Nolan Gorman helped. First he misfired on a crossbody throw to allow Tim Anderson to reach on an infield single, and then he advanced to second when Gorman dropped what should've been a 5-3 fielder's choice because he thought about turning two before cleanly catching the ball.
*Gorman handled another ball to put runners on the corners with one out, but Andrew Vaughn finally elevated a ball by slicing a changeup over the head of Paul Goldschmidt and into right field, making it a 5-2 game.
*Andre Pallante took over for JoJo Romero and hit Yasmani Grandal on the elbow to load the bases, after which Burger made it a 5-4 game with a double past a diving Arenado. Zach Remillard then put the Sox ahead with a first-pitch single through the right side of a drawn-in infield.
*Keynan Middleton gave back the lead over the course of two batters, allowing a Lars Nootbar single, followed by Arenado's second homer of the night on a hanging slider.
*Luis Robert Jr. tied it up by flinging a backup slider by Kyle Leahy inside the left-field foul pole for a game-tying solo shot, and when Eloy Jiménez hit a chopper up the middle, Gorman once again botched the play -- this time struggling to get the ball out of his glove -- to put the go-ahead run on board.
*That run came around to score on three two-out walks by two different pitchers. Leahy issued free passes to Grandal and Burger, then Chris Stratton entered and walked Remillard on four pitches to make it an 8-7 game.
*That's where the score stood despite late scares. Gregory Santos had to pitch around a pair of two-out singles in the eighth. Kendall Graveman lost a seven-pitch battle with Walker for a two-out single, then walked Alec Burleson to move the tying run into scoring position. Fortunately for the Sox, he retired Ivan Herrera on a 1-3 to end it.
*Middleton picked up the win despite blowing the lead. Cease came and went with his eighth consecutive no-decision.
*Cease's fastball topped out at 96.1 mph, and it was beaten for both of the Cardinals' run-scoring hits in the second inning, as well as Arenado's two-run homer in the third.
*The White Sox exacerbated issues with sloppy play, with Cease heavily involved. Zach Remillard gave Nootbar an extra base by fumbling the ball in right field, although that didn't factor into the run.
*Gorman, who singled after the Arenado homer, took second on a pitch in the dirt, then moved to third on a slider that rocketed off the dirt and over Grandal's shoulder. Those efforts allowed him to score on Ivan Herrera's infield single.
*Cease finished with a blemished line: 6 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HR, 2 WP, and an error on a pickoff attempt.
*Remillard committed the error in his first start in right field, but he tried to make up for it at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a stolen base.
*Burger topped him, going 2-for-2 with the homer, double and two out-of-nowhere walks.
