Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol talks about his team's series-ending loss to Seattle on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, at Busch Stadium in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)
The Cardinals could not climb out of the early hole they for themselves in the series finale against the Mariners on Sunday at Busch Stadium as Seattle handed ºüÀêÊÓƵ its first series loss since late August.
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (8-11) allowed seven runs on nine hits in two innings. Five of the seven runs allowed by Mikolas came in the first inning of the Cardinals’ 10-4 loss in front of an announced crowd of 41,302.
The seven runs (six earned) were the most Mikolas has allowed in a game since he allowed 10 (nine of which were earned) on June 27. Four of the five hits allowed by Mikolas had exit velocities faster than 100 mph, per Statcast. The right-hander’s ERA rose to 5.55 in the outing.
Steven Matz, who started for the Cardinals on Sept. 3 after his return from the injured list, made his first relief appearance of the season. Matz allowed two runs — both of which came on a homer — and collected four strikeouts in four innings of relief after Mikolas’ exit.
Mariners starter and former National League Central rival Luis Castillo allowed two runs in three-plus innings of work. Castillo threw 59 pitches and worked into the third inning but exited early because of a left hamstring strain.
The Cardinals received RBIs from Jose Fermin in the second inning and Jordan Walker in the eighth. Their hits drove in two runs apiece. The Cardinals combined for nine hits in the loss, which included a single in the seventh inning from Masyn Winn, which marked Winn’s first hit in 20 at-bats dating back to Sept. 3.
The Cardinals (72-71) finished Sunday six games behind the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves for the third wild-card spot in the National League. A win from the Chicago Cubs put the Cubs ahead of the Cardinals in the NL wild-card standings by a game.
Rough start for Mikolas
Mikolas faced nine batters in the first inning and allowed hits to each of the first five Mariners who stepped into the batter’s box.
Julio Rodriguez led off Sunday’s series finale with a double to left field. He scored in the following at-bat on a single from Cal Raleigh, who advanced to third when Randy Arozarena singled behind him. Raleigh and Arozarena scored on a double from Luke Raley that was lined to the right-center field wall.
The four consecutive hits allowed by Mikolas prompted a mound visit from Cardinals pitching coach Dusty Blake.
Following the visit by Blake, Mikolas allowed a single to Justin Turner that advanced Raley to third base. Mikolas struck out both Jorge Polanco and J.P. Crawford swinging following Turner’s single. After a passed ball allowed Turner to advance to second base, Mikolas allowed two more runs on a single from Mitch Garver. Mikolas ended the inning by getting Josh Rojas to pop out to third baseman Nolan Arenado.
In the second inning, Mikolas gave up a two-run homer to Arozarena after Rodriguez singled to begin the inning.
Matz in relief
Called upon from the bullpen for the first time this year, Matz began his relief outing by retiring the first seven batters he faced before allowing two runs in the fifth inning.Â
Matz collected two strikeouts and induced four groundouts before Turner drew a walk with one out in the fifth inning. Working with a runner on against Polanco, Matz left a 2-1 sinker over the middle of the strike zone that Polanco belted to center field for a two-run homer.
Following the homer from Polanco, Matz retired four of the next five Mariners batters he faced. Matz secured two of his four strikeouts in that span.Â
Right-hander Riley O’Brien (1â…“ innings) and Chris Roycroft (1â…” innings) combined to finish the game for ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
Fermin pushes across 2
The Cardinals pushed across two runs in the second inning against Castillo that cut their seven-run deficit to five. Both runs in the second inning came on a single from Fermin with two outs in the inning.
Fermin stepped to the plate with Arenado on third base and Ivan Herrera second base after Arenado singled and Herrera doubled. Fermin, the Cardinals’ starting second baseman for the second consecutive day as Brendan Donovan sits with an infection on his foot, grounded a single to center field on the first pitch he saw from Castillo. The two RBIs were Fermin’s first of the season.
Castillo exits early
Castillo departed Sunday’s game in the third inning during his at-bat against Walker after he appeared to be in discomfort after delivering the third pitch of the encounter. The 31-year-old Castillo walked off the mound after being visited by Mariners head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson and manager Dan Wilson.
Right-hander Kyle Trent Thorton replaced the three-time All-Star righty after the latter’s exit because of the hamstring injury. Thornton struck out Walker swinging and induced groundouts from Fermin and Michael Siani to end the fourth inning and keep Herrera stranded at second base after he singled off Castillo and stole second base during Walker’s at-bat.
Thorton, Taylor Saucedo, Eduard Bazardo and JT Chargois combined to pitch the final six innings for Seattle. The two runs produced by Walker came on a double against Bazardo.