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Cardinals Blank White Sox

Giovanny Gallegos came in to a sticky situation, with the St. Louis Cardinals clinging to a one-run lead and two on in the seventh inning. It quickly became a heated one.

 

Umpire Joe West ordered him to switch caps because there apparently was sunscreen on the bill. Manager Mike Shildt, thinking his player was unfairly singled out, got ejected during an animated argument.

 

That overshadowed everything else in the Cardinals' 4-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

 

Tommy Edman homered twice, and the Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep.

 

Shildt was ejected with one out in the seventh, after Genesis Cabrera hit Yoan Moncada, putting runners on first and second.

 

The Cardinals brought in Giovanny Gallegos. West, who on Tuesday set Major League Baseball's record for most games umpired, said second-base ump Dan Bellino noticed a substance on the brim of the pitcher's cap.

 

West said Gallegos told him it was sunscreen. Even so, he made the pitcher switch caps before throwing a pitch because ''we don't want anybody to be accused of cheating or any of that stuff.'' The cap was sent to the commissioner's office.

 

Shildt, who was tossed for the second time this season, said he appreciated the motivation. But he questioned why there was enforcement.

 

Once the situation cooled, Gallegos squashed the threat, striking out AL MVP Jose Abreu and Mercedes.

 

Edman connected against Carlos Rodon (5-2) in the third and Aaron Bummer in the eighth for a 2-0 lead. Edmundo Sosa added a two-run single in the ninth, and the NL Central-leading Cardinals came away with the win after losing four of five.

 

John Gant (3-2) dodged bases-loaded jams in the first and third innings while pitching into the sixth.

The Cardinals committed two errors, raising their series total to seven, yet managed to stop a five-game road losing streak.

 

St. Louis also denied White Sox skipper Tony La Russa a sweep in his first series managing against St. Louis, the franchise the Hall of Famer guided two World Series championships from 1996 to 2011.

 

Rodon came through with another solid start, giving up one hit in six innings. The left-hander struck out 10 after whiffing a career-high 13 against the New York Yankees last week and did not walk a batter, though he hit two.

 

AL Central-leading Chicago was 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

 

Gant gave up five hits and walked three. The right-hander exited after Andrew Vaughn reached on a throwing error by third baseman Max Moroff leading off the sixth.

 

St. Louis begins a four-game series at struggling Arizona, with RHP Carlos Martinez (3-4, 4.18 ERA) starting for the Cardinals and RHP Matt Peacock (1-1, 4.91) pitching for the Diamondbacks.

 

Dylan Cease (2-1, 3.18) looks to bounce back from a loss to the New York Yankees as the White Sox open a four-game series against Baltimore. Bruce Zimmermann (2-3, 5.59) gets the ball for the Orioles.

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