WASHINGTON — The Cardinals' final series before the trade deadline against one of the most intriguing players at the trade deadline began with a glimpse of the team they hope to be once those trade winds stop Tuesday.
Their starter dictated the game.
Their offense inched to a lead and then blasted away.
With some last-second help from the defense, Miles Mikolas pitched seven steady innings and steered the Cardinals toward a 6-2 victory against Washington on Friday at Nationals Park. The Nats took an early lead before the Cardinals scored six runs — three by snazzy running around the bases and three by trotting around the bases. Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning to turn a tight game into the kind of game expected from a buyer when facing a seller.
The deadline's spotlight will shine on Washington all weekend as the Nationals consider whether to trade outfielder Juan Soto, the Home Run Derby champ and already a star at 23. The Cardinals are intrigued, but also in need of pitching. Their rotation has been eroded by injury, and even Dakota Hudson’s return Saturday leaves them one starter shy. On the heels of Adam Wainwright’s eight-strikeout win Wednesday in Toronto, Mikolas followed with a quality-start win Friday. Getting a third (even a fourth) starter to provide that consistency would fuel a challenge for the division title.
