Mikolas enjoys intrasquads' competitive 'edge'

ST. LOUIS -- Miles Mikolas is back into normal rhythm, and it showed as much in Sunday’s intrasquad game, when the Cardinals starter was perfect through two innings, striking out Kolten Wong looking and Matt Carpenter swinging. Mikolas, who is healthy after undergoing treatment in March for a right flexor tendon strain, threw 53 pitches -- 30 for strikes -- over 2 2/3 innings.

Sunday’s intrasquad game ended in a 3-3 tie after each team had to “roll” an inning, meaning the defense didn’t get three outs due to the pitcher’s pitch count in the frame. The team determines the rules of the matchup in their pregame ball talk meeting, and if they have to roll an inning with two outs, the offense gets a run for making the pitcher work -- a tactic manager Mike Shildt learned from years of running extended spring training for the Cardinals.

Mikolas ended the third inning with only two outs because of three errors by the infield, which resulted in two unearned runs and a tie game, but Mikolas didn’t have a ball leave the infield.

“Those are tough plays, but I kept the ball on the ground,” Mikolas said. “On another day, I probably get a double play or at least get some outs there and it’s not much of an issue. But it allowed me to get my pitch count up a little, because my first two innings were kind of quick, so I was pretty happy with it.”

• O'Neill, Thomas resume LF competition at camp

In a preseason camp where the Cardinals are only facing their own teammates in intrasquad matchups and live batting practice to get ready for the season, players are using anything they can to find an edge in the competition. Mikolas learned from his simulated game last week, when Yadier Molina called for an inside fastball and Mikolas didn’t pitch inside enough. The result? A home run. On Sunday, he committed to inside fastballs and was able to mix in his offspeed pitches to keep hitters off the fastball.

“It’s an intrasquad and we’re teammates, but for that short amount of time, I’m not trying to be your friend,” Mikolas said. “I’m trying to get ready for the season, and I think as these games get even closer and these intrasquad games get stretched out even longer, I think you’re going to see even more of an edge and maybe some trash-talking and maybe guys getting more gritty. I think it’ll be fun.”

Cabrera, Sánchez, Montero test positive again
Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said that the team’s three positive COVID-19 cases -- infielder Elehuris Montero and left-handers Génesis Cabrera and Ricardo Sánchez -- tested positive again and will continue to isolate from others and the team. The three tested positive during intake testing for Summer Camp, gave their consent to be identified and are asymptomatic. A player who tests positive for COVID-19 has to test negative twice more than 24 hours apart before being allowed to join the team.

Cabrera, Sánchez and Montero are three of the five players who have not been at Busch Stadium since camp began. Giovanny Gallegos is still in Mexico awaiting clearance to travel, and Alex Reyes is in St. Louis but has not been at workouts.

“Every day that goes by that they’re not here is more of a challenge,” Shildt said about the players being ready for Opening Day. “The biggest two factors will be when they get here, that alone might [impact] their ability to start the season with us, but if they do get here, we still have an opportunity to work into ... how they look and how they can get ready without the feeling of rushing.”

Watch intrasquads starting Tuesday
Beginning Tuesday, the Cardinals will stream most of their five remaining intrasquad games with play-by-play announcer Dan McLaughlin on the call. The game will stream on cardinals.com.

Around the horn
• Lefty reliever Andrew Miller ended Sunday’s tie game by striking out Wong and Carpenter, two lefties, swinging.

“We set up a good matchup with Miller and Kolten, who he gets on a good slider, and then full count to Carp,” Shildt said. “Throws him a heater. It was vintage Miller, and it was vintage late-inning baseball.”

• Lefty Zack Thompson, the Cardinals’ 2019 first-round MLB Draft pick, threw his first live batting practice Sunday since being added to the Summer Camp roster at Busch Stadium. He faced Andrew Knizner, Lane Thomas, Dylan Carlson, Austin Dean and Justin Williams. Initially, Shildt said, the 22-year-old was trying to do too much, but then he channeled that energy into making quality pitches.

“A little bit more like, ‘Hey, I’m excited, I’m on a big league mound in a wonderful big league ballpark,’” Shildt said. “But the great test of that was I thought Zack kind of regrouped, caught himself, was able to harness some of that competitive spirit and then focus and make more quality pitches toward the end.”

• The Cardinals have Monday off from workouts. They’ll pick back up Tuesday with another intrasquad game.