The first-place Chicago White Sox snapped their first three-game losing streak of the season on Monday night with a 5-1 win at home over the first-place St. Louis Cardinals (box score). The game marked the first time that Sox manager Tony La Russa faced the team that he managed for 16 seasons and led to a pair of World Series titles.
La Russa, who also had a prior stint with the White Sox and also managed the Oakland Athletics for 10 seasons, has now managed against all 30 current franchises. Monday’s victory over the Cardinals was career win No. 2,755 for La Russa. That puts him just eight wins shy of John McGraw, who’s in second place on the all-time list. Connie Mack leads all MLB managers with 3,731 career wins.
In this one, Chicago right-hander Lance Lynn — himself a former Cardinal who for a time played under La Russa in St. Louis — turned in yet another strong start and earned the win.