The Latest Breaking News from Ryan Helsley

All-Star week should have more player competitions than just the Home Run Derby. Some All-Stars share how they’d beef up the festivities.

ST. LOUIS — On a sweltering 99-degree day at Busch Stadium Saturday, Cardinals right-hander Miles Mikolas, who comes from Jupiter, Fla., where it is this hot on a lot of days, had the cooling tonic for a well-ridden Cardinals bullpen. Seven innings.

ST. LOUIS — On the day Oliver Marmol anointed Andre Pallante as one of his rotation pitchers — for now, anyway — the right-handed Cardinals rookie confirmed his manager’s faith.

CHICAGO — Before things really tilted toward Wrigley Weird — trademark pending — the Cardinals got just enough from two pitchers in their first starts of the season to make it possible, when they had a lead, to deploy the bullpen exactly as designed.

In manager Oliver Marmol’s perfect world, left-hander Packy Naughton and Andre Pallante, the relievers who were the first two hurlers for the Cardinals in Monday afternoon’s “bullpen game,” would have pitched the first six innings. The final three would belong to late-inning stalwarts Giovanny Gallegos, Genesis Cabrera and Ryan Helsley.

PITTSBURGH — There were four key takeaways Saturday night in the Cardinals’ 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

NEW YORK – It wasn’t the swing that he’s been working on or the moment that he’s been chasing during this slow start, but it was enough to get the single run the Cardinals needed.

ST. LOUIS — Turns out when a team is aching for runs any runs at all are enough when the pitching and defense is foolproof.

Nasty Nestor Cortes Jr. is leading the dominant Yankees, while the underperforming José Berríos is hurting the Blue Jays