ST. LOUIS — This season can’t end soon enough for Miles Mikolas.
Mikolas lost for the eighth time in his last 12 starts on Thursday, giving up all six runs to the Brewers as the Cardinals were shut out at Busch Stadium.
In those dirty dozen starts dating back to July 22, Mikolas has allowed 47 earned runs in 65 2/3 innings, an ERA of 6.44. Mikolas is 1-8 in those starts while the Cardinals are 3-9. The loss dropped his season record to 7-13.
“It did not go the way he wanted this year to go or the way we wanted it to go,” said manager Oli Marmol.
The Cardinals also lost another player to an injury on Thursday as catcher Willson Contreras saw his season end after an MRI revealed tendonitis in his left wrist. He will be placed on the injured list; the corresponding roster move has not been announced.
Mikolas likely has one more start remaining this year as the Cardinals have nine games left to play.
Here is how Thursday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals managed just six hits as they were shut out for the 12th time this season … Paul Goldschmidt and Jose Fermin each had two of the six hits … In losing three of the four games to the Brewers, the Cardinals scored a combined six runs and hit .198 (25-of-126), which included three hits in 19 at-bats with a runner in scoring position. They were outscored 21-6 in the series.
On the mound: Mikolas allowed two home runs, both with two strikes, in his five-plus innings. The big blow was a three-run homer by Victor Caratini in the Brewers four-run sixth, in which Mikolas allowed a double and two singles before the home run that knocked him out of the game … Matthew Liberatore relieved and retired the next three batters before Andrew Suarez worked the final three innings, allowing just one hit.
Key stat: Dating back to his start on June 4, the Cardinals are just 4-16 in games started by Mikolas. He allowed four or more runs in 11 of those starts.
Worth noting: The loss dropped the Cardinals record to 67-86, equaling their lowest mark of the season at 19 games under .500 … With Contreras heading to the IL, the only three players who have been on the active roster the entire season and not gone on the IL are Mikolas, Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado … The only two players on the 40-man roster who are healthy and not on the major-league roster are outfielders Moises Gomez and Mike Siani … Starting with the Cardinasl first game in London on June 24, Contreras posted a .339 average with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in his last 57 games, 55 of them starts.
Looking ahead: The Cardinals will begin their final road trip of the season on Friday night with the first of three games in San Diego. Dakota Hudson is the scheduled starter. The Cardinals also will play three games in Milwaukee before returning home to end the season with three games against the Reds.
