It's been 11 years since the White Sox last played the Cardinals in St. Louis, and that three-game series from June 15-17, 2001, didn't go so well for the visitors from Chicago. St. Louis swept the series, winning 10-3, 8-3 and 8-3, but that's not the point of this post.
Let's look back at the starting lineups Jerry Manuel trotted out in all three games:
Friday, June 15, 2001:
Ray Durham 2B
Chris Singleton CF
Carlos Lee LF
Magglio Ordonez RF
Paul Konerko 1B
Sandy Alomar C
Joe Crede 3B
Royce Clayton SS
Jon Garland SP
Saturday, June 16, 2001:
Ray Durham 2B
Chris Singleton CF
Carlos Lee LF
Magglio Ordonez RF
Paul Konerko 1B
Joe Crede 3B
Royce Clayton SS
Josh Paul C
Kip Wells SP
Sunday, June 17, 2001:
MLB
Ray Durham 2B
Chris Singleton CF
Carlos Lee LF
Magglio Ordonez RF
Paul Konerko 1B
Sandy Alomar C
Joe Crede 3B
Royce Clayton SS
David Wells SP
Bench players used in the series: Jeff Liefer, Tony Graffanino, McKay Christensen, Aaron Rowand
Relievers used in the series: Matt Ginter, Kelly Wunsch, Ken Vining, Sean Lowe, Gary Glover
Notes:
- Magglio Ordonez homered twice and Paul Konerko also went deep.
- Missouri native Joe Crede hit one of his five career triples off June 17 starter Bud Smith.
- Future White Sox closer Dustin Hermanson started June 16's contest, earning the win by allowing one run over five innings.
- Royce Clayton went 1-11, lowering his OPS to .362.
- Bulls guard Cardinals reliever Mike James threw 2 13 innings.
- Mark McGwire was ejected on June 17 in David Wells' six-inning, 5-run start in which he had seven strikeouts and no walks.
- Bobby Bonilla had only one hit in seven at-bats in the series, but it's okay because the Mets just started paying him over 1 million annually through 2035. 2001 was Bonilla's final year in the major leagues.
- Mark Buehrle didn't start in the series and still has yet to pitch a game in his hometown. Miami makes their only trip to St. Louis July 6-8 this year.
- It's worth noting that while this series didn't go well for the White Sox, they turned the tables on St. Louis five years later, sweeping the Cardinals by a combined score of 34-11 from June 20-22, 2006.