Mikolas homers, picks up win as Cardinals beat Brewers

[April 03, 2018]  Miles Mikolas won his first major league start since 2014 and also cracked a tie-breaking two-run homer in the fifth inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals the lead for good as they spoiled the Milwaukee Brewers' home opener Monday with an 8-4 decision at Miller Park.

Mikolas worked 5 2/3 innings, becoming the first St. Louis starter in four games to get an out in the sixth inning. He permitted seven hits and four runs, walking none and whiffing five.

He also provided a stunning boost with the bat, snapping a 2-2 deadlock in the fifth when he turned on a fastball right down the middle from Zach Davies with Jedd Gyorko on base after Davies plunked him with two outs. Mikolas' first MLB hit traveled 407 feet into the seats in left-center.

St. Louis (2-2) broke the game open an inning later, touching Davies and reliever Brandon Woodruff for four runs. Jose Martinez lofted a sacrifice fly to center that made it 5-2. After Yadier Molina extended the inning with a two-out single, Woodruff relieved Davies and promptly permitted a three-run shot to Paul DeJong, his third in two games.

Davies was touched for eight hits and seven runs, six earned, over 5 2/3 innings. He walked none and fanned six as Milwaukee dropped its first game after scoring a season-opening sweep in San Diego.

The Brewers initiated scoring in the bottom of the second inning when catcher Manny Pina lined Mikolas' 94 mph fastball over the wall in right-center for his first homer.

Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) hits a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals answered with two in the third. Gyorko doubled home DeJong, making him 11-of-17 in his career against Davies, and scored one out later when Dexter Fowler broke an 0-for-14 skid with a bloop single to center.

Lorenzo Cain walloped a solo homer in the Milwaukee third to tie the game, but the Brewers didn't score again until Eric Thames cracked a two-run blast to right-center in the sixth.

Rookie Jordan Hicks pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings to pick up his first career save.

--Field Level Media

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