Nolan Arenado knocked in three runs, while Sonny Gray allowed only three hits in seven innings for the St. Louis Cardinals’ 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Gray, now at a 4-1 record, walked just one batter and struck out five in his best performance of the season so far. This win for the Cardinals ended their two-game losing streak. Gray was particularly strong towards the end of the game, retiring the last eight batters he faced and 13 out of the last 14.
After a challenging moment in the third inning, Gray decided to make a change to reset himself. He explained, “I’ve done this before, but I just came in here (the locker room) after the third, took all my clothes off, and got redressed with new cleats, socks, underwear, pants, belt, jersey, hat.” This reset seemed to work wonders for him.
With an ERA of 0.89 this season, Gray’s performance has been outstanding. He’s now the first pitcher in the history of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise to maintain a sub-1.00 ERA through his first five starts with the team since 1910.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol praised Gray’s preparation and execution, highlighting his consistency and focus. Meanwhile, the Chicago White Sox faced their fourth consecutive loss, bringing their shutout count for the season to nine.
JoJo Romero pitched a flawless eighth inning, while Ryan Helsley retired all three batters in the ninth to secure his 11th save out of 12 chances.
Arenado’s two-run double in the opening inning put the Cardinals ahead 2-0. This marked his first game with multiple RBIs since April 21.
In the fifth inning, Arenado hit another double, this time bringing Willson Contreras home to extend the lead to 3-0. This hit forced White Sox starter Brad Keller out of the game.
Manager Marmol noted Arenado’s improved confidence in his swing, especially highlighting his crucial hit in the first inning and his insurance run later in the game.
Contreras had an impressive performance with three hits, a walk, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Gray emphasized Contreras’ impact behind the plate, praising his ability to give cues and help Gray make necessary adjustments. Contreras himself complimented Gray’s pitching, describing it as “nasty.”
