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MILWAUKEE – Tyler O’Neill and Paul Goldschmidt hit home runs as the St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th straight game Wednesday night, a 10-2 decision over the Milwaukee Brewers.
The streak is the longest for St. Louis since August 2001, and bolstered the Cardinals’ lead in the National League’s second wildcard slot with another half-game against the Cincinnati Reds.
The win came at a modest price, however, as third baseman Nolan Arenado was pulled out of the game with strain on his lower back, after catching an over-the-shoulder grab. He was 2-for-2 before going out.
“It’s huge. Just knowing that your defense is out there, ready to give up its life and its limbs to get you some takedowns, that’s huge,” starter Miles Mikolas told Bally Sports about of the Arenado game. “It gives you more confidence to throw strikes and let them put the ball into play.”
Cardinals manager Mike Schildt was cautiously optimistic about Arenado in his post-game availability, but worried nonetheless.
“It tightened it up a bit and I just wanted to get it out of there as a precaution,” he said. “There is always some concern, but it was better at the end of the game than when he was knocked out.”
The victory sealed a series victory over the Brewers and gave the Cardinals a 4½-game lead over the Reds, who saw their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates postponed Wednesday night. The Cardinals close the series with the Brewers Thursday afternoon.
“At the start of this month we obviously knew what to expect, but we have always believed – and have always believed – that it’s all in our hands,” said center Harrison Bader, who went 3-on-5 with an RBI in victory. “And the only way we can really do that is to keep the power in ourselves, keep pushing the tempo and stay aggressive. We did really well on all sides of the ball.”
Mikolas pitched seven strong innings for St. Louis on Wednesday, striking out three without a walk while allowing two runs en route to victory.
“He continues to improve. He was sharp, all of his throws were working,” said Schildt. “He was efficient, he threw some strikes, he had 13 balls on the ground. Just a very good rhythm, with a good tempo.”
Mikolas will accept the praise but was quick to return it to his teammates.
“Everyone played really well. We did everything we needed to do on both sides of the ball the right way against a very good ball club,” he said. “It’s a great victory for us.”
And these tend to happen when Goldschmidt pulls a circuit. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the Cardinals are now 20-5 this season when they go deep.
“One of the best things this team does is keep them present. Keep them in the present and just play,” said Schildt, whose club were 8 ½ games away from a wildcard spot on August 10 before. to soar. “Right after that.”
With a day game after a night game, on the road, Schildt could choose to give Arenado a day off Thursday, but said he would assess the situation further before making the roster. The all-star third baseman is beating .258 this season with 33 homers and 103 RBIs.
The Cardinals’ longest winning streak in franchise history is 14 games, in 1935 with a team led by Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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