ST. LOUIS — Tommy Pham singled home free runner Rafael Ortega in the 10th inning, and relievers John Brebbia and Tanner Banks survived a bases-loaded jam, thunderstorms and a three-hour rain delay in the bottom of the inning Saturday to help the White Sox defeat the Cardinals 6-5 at Busch Stadium.
The Sox (7-26) snapped a four-game losing streak and won for only the second time in 16 road games.
As umpires tried to get the game in, Brebbia struck out Lars Nootbar and Masyn Winn with the bases loaded in a driving rain before the tarp was brought onto the field.
After 3 hours and 3 minutes, Banks replaced Brebbia with an 0-1 count and needed 39 seconds to strike out pinch hitter Ivan Herrera looking to end the game.
‘‘It’s just an absolute disaster when it’s coming down like that,’’ said Brebbia, who did all he could to try to keep the baseballs dry. ‘‘So you never know what’s going to happen. It was kind of fun.’’
For a team struggling as much as the Sox have been, losing after the long wait would have been anything but.
‘‘I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of it,’’ said Sox starter Erick Fedde, who allowed a three-run home run to Nolan Arenado that gave the Cardinals a 5-3 lead in a five-run fifth. ‘‘Waiting around that long to lose would have stunk.’’
Former Sox starter Lance Lynn gave up five runs in five-plus innings for the Cardinals. He walked two to open the sixth before Korey Lee’s two-run single against Andrew Kittridge knotted the score at 5.
Mendick to IL; Ramos recalled
Infielder Danny Mendick landed on the 10-day injured list with back tightness, and third-base prospect Bryan Ramos was called up from Double-A Birmingham.
Ramos, who is ranked as the Sox’
No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, entered at third in the ninth and, after fielding Alec Burleson’s grounder in the 10th, didn’t cleanly execute a rundown of free runner Paul Goldschmidt between third and home, allowing Goldschmidt to get back safely to third. The strikeouts by Brebbia and Banks made it moot.
‘‘Every kid dreams of it when they are little,’’ Ramos said of getting called up. ‘‘To be here now is kind of everything. I’m so happy right now.’’
Ramos will play a lot beginning Sunday, manager Pedro Grifol said.
‘‘He’s here to play, and it’s a good opportunity for him to experience this and a good opportunity for us to evaluate where he is in his development,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘He’s got really all the tools to play at this level.’’
Mendick said he tweaked his back while reaching for a suitcase.
‘‘It was weird,’’ he said. ‘‘Just kind of picked up an object the wrong way and felt a little tweak. The next morning, my back was just in a tough spot.’’
Leone exits with back tightness
Reliever Dominic Leone left with tightness in his lower back after walking Arenado leading off the eighth and is day-to-day. He was replaced by Jordan Leasure, one of seven relievers to combine for 5‰ innings of one-hit ball.
Phillips released
The Sox released outfielder Brett Phillips, who was at Triple-A Charlotte.
