Mikolas (2-4) took the loss Wednesday against the Tigers, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four. Most of the damage against Mikolas came early -- Colt Keith opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second inning before Matt Vierling extended Detroit's lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer in the third. The 35-year-old Mikolas held the Tigers off the board in his final three frames to earn a quality start, but the Cardinals couldn't climb out of the early hole, sticking the right-hander with the loss. Mikolas has been better after a rough start to the year, allowing five runs over 11.2 innings in his last two starts. His ERA now sits at 5.68 with a 1.39 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB across seven starts (38 innings). Mikolas is slated for a home matchup with the Mets in his next outing.
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Mikolas (2-4) took the loss Wednesday against the Tigers, allowing three runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four. Most of the damage against Mikolas came early -- Colt Keith opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second inning before Matt Vierling extended Detroit's lead to 3-0 with a two-run homer in the third. The 35-year-old Mikolas held the Tigers off the board in his final three frames to earn a quality start, but the Cardinals couldn't climb out of the early hole, sticking the right-hander with the loss. Mikolas has been better after a rough start to the year, allowing five runs over 11.2 innings in his last two starts. His ERA now sits at 5.68 with a 1.39 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB across seven starts (38 innings). Mikolas is slated for a home matchup with the Mets in his next outing.
Matz will undergo an MRI on his injured back Thursday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. Matz attempted to pitch through a back issue during a loss to the Tigers on Tuesday, but he struggled and will now undergo testing. The Cardinals will wait until the results of the exam come in before deciding on a potential stint on the injured list for the left-hander. Of the potential candidates on the Cardinals' 40-man roster that could take Matz's rotation spot, Sem Robberse has pitched the best at Triple-A Memphis, sporting a 1.82 ERA and 29:6 K:BB over 29.2 innings.
Matz pitched through a lower-back injury during Tuesday's loss to the Tigers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Matz first dealt with soreness while jogging a few days before his start, but he responded well to treatments and didn't have an issue during his between-starts bullpen session, clearing the way for him to make his scheduled start. However, Matz's velocity was well down in the outing and he wound up allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks over 3.1 innings, admitting after the start that he "wasn't able to finish like I normally do." The Cardinals weren't ready to say after the outing whether Matz might need a trip to the injured list, but it sounds like it could be a possibility. The lefty's next outing is tentatively lined up to come either Sunday versus the White Sox or Monday against the Mets.
Goldschmidt went 5-for-9 with a double and two runs scored in Tuesday's doubleheader split versus the Tigers. Goldschmidt had not collected five hits over any two-game span this season prior to Tuesday. Even with the strong performance, the first baseman is slashing a mediocre .236/.323/.318 with two home runs, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored, three doubles and a stolen base over 29 contests. Goldschmidt has yet to lose playing time amid his slow start, but that could change once the Cardinals get players like Dylan Carlson (shoulder), Tommy Edman (wrist) and Matt Carpenter (oblique) back from the injured list. On the positive side, Goldschmidt has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games, so he may be turning things around enough to maintain his place in the lineup.
Donovan went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in an 11-6 loss to the Tigers in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader. Donovan sparked the Cardinals' fifth-inning rally with his homer. The utility man had hit safely in five straight games before going 0-for-4 in the matinee contest. Donovan is slashing .228/.311/.377 with three homers, 16 RBI, 13 runs scored and no stolen bases over 132 plate appearances this season. He remains the Cardinals' preferred leadoff batter and left fielder despite his mediocre hitting so far.
Liberatore (1-1) pitched a perfect inning and struck out two batters to earn the win in Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Tigers. Liberatore bounced back from his first loss of the season Sunday with a clean outing in the eighth inning Tuesday. The Cardinals then rallied ahead in the ninth, and Ryan Helsley closed the door for a save. Liberatore has been solid with a 2.93 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 9:8 K:BB through 15.1 innings over 11 appearances as a multi-inning relief option this season. Tuesday also marked the first time in six appearances he avoided walking a batter.
Burleson went 3-for-9 with a home run and five RBI across both games of Tuesday's doubleheader split against the Tigers. After going 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the matinee, Burleson went deep off Tyler Holton in the fifth inning of the nightcap. Burleson's two-hit game in the second contest was his first multi-hit performance since April 10, and on the season the 25-year-old outfielder is slashing .273/.324/.394 through 24 games with two homers, four runs and 10 RBI.
Matz escaped with a no-decision in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tigers, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks over 3.1 innings in an 11-6 loss. He struck out only one. The southpaw got the hook after 73 pitches (45 strikes) with the Cardinals in a 4-0 hole, but Matz avoided the loss when the two teams combined for eight runs in the fifth inning. It was his shortest start of the season so far, but he's failed to complete five innings in three of his last four outings, getting tagged for 17 earned runs in 17.1 frames over that stretch. Matz will carry a 6.18 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 17:11 K:BB through 27.2 innings into his next start, which could come at home this weekend against the White Sox.
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