The White Sox are running out of runway for a lineup that has gone ice-cold, and Will Venable is trying something different in St. Louis. After producing a .192/.295/.335 line and only 40 runs over their last 13 games, Chicago has shuffled the order for tonight’s matchup with the Cardinals.
The biggest changes are near the top and in the middle. Colson Montgomery is hitting eighth for the first time this season, while Kyle Teel has been bumped up to second, directly behind Sam Antonacci. With the offense searching for any kind of rhythm, the White Sox are clearly hoping the new look can shake loose a few better at-bats.
There’s also a pitching wrinkle to watch on Chicago’s side. Sean Newcomb will get the start, but Luis Castillo is expected to handle most of the workload, with the White Sox hoping he can cover multiple innings.
That assignment comes with plenty of attention, because Castillo has struggled badly since joining the club. In six appearances, he owns a 7.52 ERA, has allowed 37 hits in 26.1 innings, and opposing hitters are batting .325 against him.
St. Louis counters with right-hander Kyle Leahy, who has been steady across 27 outings.
He’s 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 132 innings and, per FanGraphs, has a 2.4 WAR while stranding runners at an 81% clip. That’s the kind of profile that can make life difficult for an offense already trying to dig out of a slump.
The key battle here may come down to how Chicago’s left-handed bats handle Leahy’s fastball. In 2026, lefties have hit .361 with a .583 slugging percentage against his four-seamer. Leahy would prefer to get to his changeup and curveball, two pitches that have limited left-handed hitters to just eight total extra-base hits.
That makes the early-count approach from the White Sox especially important. If their left-handed hitters are aggressive against the fastball, or if Leahy simply avoids using it early, that could shape the night.
Here’s how the teams line up:
White Sox: Sam Antonacci LF, Kyle Teel C, Miguel Vargas 3B, Munetaka Murakami 1B, Andrew Benintendi DH, Tristan Peters CF, Chase Meidroth 2B, Colson Montgomery SS, Braden Montgomery RF. Sean Newcomb is the starter.
Cardinals: Jose Fermin LF, Ivan Herrera DH, Alec Burleson 1B, Joshua Baez RF, Leo Bernal C, Nolan Gorman 3B, Thomas Saggese 2B, Masyn Winn SS, Nathan Church CF. Kyle Leahy starts for St. Louis.
In Other News...
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For a team trying to keep building a stronger pipeline, the timing matters because Shirley was directly involved in those strategy conversations and selections. The club has not offered any further detail on the resignation, and Shirley has not commented, leaving one more important front-office transition hanging over a development system that has already been under a microscope. [Read more 🡒]
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White Sox Try To Seal Cardinals Series With A New Wrinkle Sunday
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Sandlins call-up has become part of the story here, and the White Sox have also moved Schweitzer off the roster as they continue sorting out the pitching side of things. For a club trying to stack wins and keep momentum in a tough spot on the schedule, the series finale is less about ceremony than seeing whether the new pieces can hold up long enough to finish the job in St. Louis. [Read more 🡒]