ST. LOUIS — What the Cardinals lost Friday was another game in the standings, another perplexing outing against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller, another night when the offense unplugged, and another chance to fatten their record against an opponent with a dwindling one.
What they potentially gained could mean far more.
After a first inning to find his footing, Miles Mikolas had an assertive return to the rotation in his longest outing since the 2019 National League Championship Series. Limited by elbow and forearm injuries to 59 pitches in the majors in the 22 months since, Mikolas pitched five sturdy innings, did not allow an earned run, and hinted at the ballast he could provide for a rotation long in need of such stability.
