Saturday’s Game Report: Reds 3, Cardinals 2
For six innings on Saturday night, Miles Mikolas did not look like the pitcher who had won only one of nine road starts this season in which he posted a league-high 7.40 ERA.
Mikolas, coming off his second career shut out at Busch Stadium, allowed just three hits and five baserunners to the Reds through the sixth inning of the game in Cincinnati.
Three batters into the seventh, however, Mikolas found himself behind and the Cardinals headed to the loss.
A leadoff walk, a double and a home run accounted for the three quick runs against Mikolas, who saw his record for the season fall to 6-10.
Here is how the game broke down:
At the plate: The game was scoreless until Matt Wieters led off the sixth with his seventh home run of the season … Mikolas followed the homer with a double but a great catch by shortstop Jose Iglesias robbed Tommy Edman of a hit and the Cardinals failed to add to their one run in the inning … In the eighth, a walk to Harrison Bader and a double by Edman, his third hit and second double of the game, put runners on second and third with one out. Bader scored on a ground out, but Paul Goldschmidt flew out to leave the potential tying run stranded at third … The Cardinals were 0-of-8 with runners in scoring position, also wasting a leadoff double by Edman in the fourth inning … Other than Edman, the Cardinals were held to just three hits – the homer by Wieters, the double by Mikolas and a single by Kolten Wong.
On the mound: The three runs for the Reds in the seventh snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak for Mikolas, the longest of his career … Mikolas has allowed at least three runs in nine of his 10 starts away from home this season … Ryan Helsley, called up from Memphis before the game to add a fresh arm in the bullpen, relieved Mikolas and kept the Reds scoreless over the final two innings, stranding a runner on third in the seventh and runners on second and third in the eighth.
Key stat: Mikolas is now 0-5 with one no-decision in his last six away starts. His only road win this season came on May 1 in Washington, when he held the Nationals to one run over six innings. Last season Mikolas was 10-0 with a 3.53 ERA in 16 road starts. After Saturday night’s start Mikolas’ road ERA this season is 6.98.
Worth noting: The home run by Josh VanMeter was the 17th allowed by Mikolas this season in 114 innings, one more than he allowed in 200 innings in 2018 … To make room for Helsley on the roster infielder Edmundo Sosa was returned to Memphis.
Looking ahead: Jack Flaherty will get the start on Sunday in the final game of the series.
