Cards turn to Miles Mikolas in bid for sweep of Red Sox

The St. Louis Cardinals will ship right-hander Miles Mikolas to the mound on Sunday night time once they try to comb a three-game street collection towards the Boston Pink Sox

Mikolas, 34, was an All-Star for the second time in his profession in 2022, when he made a career-high 33 appearances for St. Louis and went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA.

However Mikolas (1-1, 5.40 ERA this season) has by no means confronted the Pink Sox. He’s coming off a no-decision towards the Chicago Cubs on Monday, when he allowed one run on 4 hits in 4 1/3 innings throughout his crew’s 3-1 victory. He walked three and struck out seven

Willson Contreras will not catch Mikolas on Sunday, however St. Louis supervisor Oliver Marmol mentioned Contreras will probably be behind the plate when the Cardinals play the Milwaukee Brewers at dwelling Monday

Contreras, who joined the Cardinals as a free agent following the 2022 season, was moved to designated hitter after he caught 23 video games for St. Louis this 12 months

On the time, Marmol mentioned the transfer was made so Contreras might get a greater understanding of how you can execute the sport plan with every of the crew’s pitchers.

“We’ve got felt actually good concerning the progress that we have made, and it traces up very well for him to catch on Monday with Jack (Flaherty) on the mound,” Marmol instructed the St. Louis Submit-Dispatch earlier than Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Pink Sox

Contreras, a three-time All-Star catcher whereas he performed for the Chicago Cubs, was signed to a five-year, $87.5 million take care of the Cardinals to switch the retired Yadier Molina

Contreras hasn’t began at catcher since a loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Might 4.

Proper-hander Corey Kluber (2-4, 6.29) is scheduled to begin for Boston on Sunday.

Regardless of his excessive ERA, Kluber could also be rounding into kind. The 2-time Cy Younger Award recipient has restricted opponents to seven earned runs whereas posting a 2-0 document in his final three begins.

Kluber has made three profession appearances (all begins) towards St. Louis. He is 2-1 with a 5.52 ERA and has 25 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings.

He gave up three runs on seven hits in 5 innings throughout a 7-4 win at Philadelphia on Might 6. He struck out one and did not stroll a batter.

Boston nearer Kenley Jansen surrendered three runs within the ninth inning in every of the primary two video games within the collection. The Pink Sox misplaced 8-6 on Friday and 4-3 Saturday to fall to 1-4 of their final 5 video games

Jansen walked the primary two batters he confronted Saturday. Ball 4 on the second stroll got here on considered one of Jansen’s three pitching violations within the inning.

“The hitter must be within the field and alert on the newest at eight (seconds left on the pitch clock),” Pink Sox supervisor Alex Cora mentioned following Saturday’s sport. “The pitcher wants to offer the hitter time to be within the field and alert. I believe the entire thing was they have been getting within the field at eight and Kenley was going already. They offer you a warning, after which after that it is an computerized ball. The rule is the rule, and that is what occurred the entire inning

“That is the primary time it has occurred to him and to us.”

Nolan Arenado has homered in every of the primary two video games within the collection for the Cardinals, who’ve gained 5 of their final six video games. Arenado has 5 dwelling runs in his final seven video games in Boston

–Discipline Stage Media