Mikolas starts G1 as Cards set NLCS rotation
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ST. LOUIS -- Hoping to set up their rotation in a similar way as they did in the previous round, the Cardinals pegged Miles Mikolas for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Nationals on Friday at Busch Stadium.
Adam Wainwright will start Game 2 -- and potentially get two home starts if the series returns to St. Louis for Games 6 and 7. That lines up Jack Flaherty to start Game 3 on Monday in Washington, followed by Dakota Hudson for Game 4 on Tuesday at Nationals Park. Hudson will also be available out of the bullpen for the first two games of the series.
| Game | Date | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 11 | WSH 2, STL 0 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 12 | WSH 3, STL 1 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 14 | WSH 8, STL 1 | Watch |
| Gm 4 | Oct. 15 | WSH 7, STL 4 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: The Cardinals' rotation had a 1.78 ERA across 30 1/3 innings in the NL Division Series. St. Louis' starters held a monster Braves lineup to a .214 average, but things won't get any easier against a Nationals club that is riding a huge wave of momentum after beating the Dodgers in extra innings in Game 5 to advance.
Mikolas will square off against Nationals right-hander Aníbal Sánchez in Game 1 on Friday, while the Nationals' rotation will have Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin for Games 2-4, although the order of the three is currently unknown. Mikolas, the Cardinals’ Opening Day starter, allowed one run in five innings against the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS, and he threw a scoreless 10th inning in Game 4 before the Cardinals walked off to send the series to a decisive Game 5.
“Thinking about who you want to play for, you want to play teams that are wanting to win, that are contenders, that are trying to get to the playoffs, and that is the St. Louis Cardinals,” Mikolas said. “And to be on their list of guys who started Game 1 is humbling, it's an honor, and it's going to be a whole lot of fun.”
• WSH-STL Game 1: Lineups, matchups, FAQ
Mikolas faced the Nationals twice in the regular season and registered a 3.00 ERA over 12 innings. On May 1, he held the Nationals to one run in six innings in a Cardinals’ win, and more recently, on Sept. 17, he allowed three runs over six innings in a loss.
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“It's nice to have them fresh in your mind,” Mikolas said. “As far as how hitters’ tendencies change, I don't know if they had a whole lot of time for their tendencies to change too much in the last three weeks going into the playoffs, so it might make it a little bit easier. Their pitchers will be in the same boat as far as scouting our hitters, so it will be interesting to see how we attack each other.”
Following Mikolas, it was important for the Cardinals to potentially get Wainwright two starts in the series at home, where he’s been spectacular this year -- and could potentially be pitching for the last time. The 38-year-old had a 2.56 ERA in 16 starts at Busch Stadium during the regular season, and in Game 3 of the NLDS, he threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings, limiting the Braves to four hits and two walks while striking out eight.
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This Cardinals' rotation also allows Flaherty to start Game 7, if necessary, which would be in St. Louis. The young ace held the Braves to one run in six innings in the Cardinals’ 13-1 win in Game 5 on Wednesday that sent them to the NLCS. When the Cardinals put up a 10-run first inning, some thought it’d be best to pull Flaherty and save him for Game 1 of the NLCS.
But the Cardinals were focused on winning that game, and the rotation now sets Flaherty -- who notched a 2.77 ERA over his two NLDS starts -- to pitch in two critical games: the Cardinals' first road game of the series and a potential winner-take-all affair.
“We want to respect the competition and we want to move forward without -- we wanted to make sure we're moving forward,” manager Mike Shildt said. “So, compromising Jack to save 20, 30 pitches and maybe come back on short rest just wasn't worth it, and I think, I know we're in a good spot.”