MILWAUKEE — A June showdown between two rivals tied atop the National League Central standings began with two of the division’s finest starters setting a tone for a week in Wisconsin.
Miles Mikolas did not allow much.
Corbin Burnes allowed nothing.
The reigning Cy Young Award winner struck out 10 Cardinals in seven scoreless innings to pilot Milwaukee to a 2-0 victory Monday night at American Family Field. The Cardinals slipped two base hits into Burnes’ line but were otherwise overwhelmed by the right-hander. Milwaukee (39-30) inched out to a one-game lead in the division against the Cardinals (38-31) with three games remaining in this series.
The other three teams in the NL Central have left these two to tussle all summer for the division crown, and both teams are trying to cover for fraying pitching staffs. The Brewers put a third member of the rotation on the injured list Monday; the Cardinals auditioned another right-hander for the hole they have in the middle innings. And while the thin spots on the pitching staffs could sway the series later, Monday’s opener was a showcase of stalwarts. Through four innings, the two starters had combined to allow two hits.
The only runs that came with the starters in the game were from the same swing — a two-run homer in the fifth inning by Tyrone Taylor. Mikolas winced as soon as Taylor connected on his 93 mph sinker and cursed as it carried over the center-field fence.
Starts like these are decided by single swings such as that.
Drawing aces, Mikolas matches them, inning by inning
As impressive as Mikolas has been throughout the season — flirting with a no-hitter one day, churning out quality starts most days — his record and the Cardinals’ record in his starts has not reflected that success. He keeps drawing aces as opponents.
Four times in his previous 13 starts, Mikolas has pitched opposite one of the best starters in the game, from Max Scherzer one night in St. Louis to Shane McClanahan in St. Petersburg, Florida. His season started with an early duel against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, and with the start Monday, Mikolas had twice pitched opposite the reigning Cy Young Award winner, Milwaukee’s Burnes.
Mikolas had lost three of those previous four starts against potential All-Stars or Cy Young winners.
Opposite Alcantara, Scherzer, and McClanahan, Mikolas allowed a total of two runs in a combined 20 innings. He walked only one batter in the those 20 innings and struck out 19. Yet the Cardinals were 1-2 in those games, mustering meager offense, if any at all.
More of the same Monday. While Burnes pitched seven scoreless, Mikolas allowed only two runs, both on a home run from the Brewers’ No. 9 hitter. In his first start since taking a no-hitter to the final out of the game, Mikolas used 100 pitches to complete 6⅓ innings. He retired nine of the first 10 Brewers he faced.
Burnes allowed two hits total.
Rookie Juan Yepez had both of them.
In his two starts against the Cardinals with Mikolas on the mound, Burnes pitched 14 scoreless innings and struck out 21.
Oviedo nails first audition for new role
Within 30 hours of manager Oliver Marmol saying Johan Oviedo would get the next look at solving the Cardinals’ uncertainty in middle relief, the right-hander had his opportunity. The Cardinals trailed by two runs when Oviedo entered in the seventh inning, tagging in for Mikolas with a runner on base. Oviedo did what teammates T.J. McFarland and Drew VerHagen did not Friday and Sunday, respectively.
He froze the score where he got it.
With considerable help from his defense — especially two sublime plays by third baseman Nolan Arenado — Oviedo pitched 1⅔ scoreless innings. He struck out former MVP Christian Yelich on a 96.7 mph fastball to end the seventh without allowing Mikolas’ leftover runner to score. In the eighth, Oviedo allowed two hits but kept the middle of the Brewers’ order scoreless to give the offense a chance to overtake a 2-0 game in the ninth.
The offense stalled when, with Paul Goldschmidt at the plate and no outs, Brendan Donovan attempted to steal second and was ruled out after a replay review.
That gift was more than enough for Brewers closer Josh Hader. He followed Devin Williams' scoreless eighth with a scoreless ninth for his 20th save.
Edman stays golden, regardless of position
A question the Cardinals asked internally when they made the decision to demote Paul DeJong and turn to Tommy Edman as the everyday shortstop was how much of their golden defense would they lose with Edman in a new position. Though he did not win a Gold Glove Award, DeJong led all shortstops in several advanced metrics and finished high in significant defensive statistics.
Though he did win a Gold Glove Award at second, the shift to short would be a test of Edman’s arm and how the Cardinals would position him to thrive at shortstop.
Early returns are superb, as Monday illustrated.
Edman had three standout plays at shortstop before the start of the sixth inning. In the third inning, he ranged to his left, passed second base, got a grounder on the short hop, and all of that still wasn’t the most impressive part of the play. He spun to get his footing and threw out leadoff hitter Yelich to end the inning. In the fourth, Edman raced from a shifted position on the right side of the infield to catch a pop-up near foul territory on the third-base line. And in the fifth, he dashed into shallow center to catch a soft liner.
And by the end of Monday’s game, Edman surpassed DeJong in innings at shortstop for the Cardinals. Monday was Edman’s 23rd start at the position, matching DeJong’s total. In 202 innings at the position, DeJong had plus-4 defensive runs saved. That tied for the most by any shortstop with fewer than 400 innings at the position this season. (Teammate Edmundo Sosa, with 149 innings, also had plus-4 DRS.) Through his first 195 innings at the position, Edman was a plus-3 DRS, according to Sports Info Solution. At least one of the plays made Monday nudged him toward plus-4, too.
Bader’s arm keeps Brewers in check
The Brewers’ first hit against Mikolas — a leadoff double for No. 2 hitter Willy Adames — gave Milwaukee a chance to play a smidge of small ball for the game’s first run in the fourth. Adames took second on a groundout, but that’s as far as the Brewers could get the rally in large part to center fielder Harrison Bader’s arm and a division rival’s respect for it. Andrew McCutchen skied a fly ball to straightaway center with Adames at third. Bader took a step or two back from where he intended to catch the ball, lined up his throw and once he had the ball — let it loose.
Adames initially broke from third as if to try to McCutchen’s out into a sacrifice fly, but after taking a few strides, Adames retreated. Bader’s throw was up the line but got there quick enough it would have greeted Adames before he touched home.
The inning fizzled. The game remained scoreless.
In the eighth, Bader’s backup and quick deliver of a throw to second base kept the Brewers from adding an additional run.
