Miles Mikolas, Cardinals seek to continue success vs. struggling Royals

The St. Louis Cardinals are the hottest team in the National League -- just as the Kansas City Royals are mired in another rough stretch.

The visiting Cardinals will look for a second consecutive victory Saturday night over the Royals, who have lost three straight and five of six.

St. Louis dropped its first two games of May to sit 14-19 but is 11-1 since. In those 12 games, the Cardinals are batting .286 with 38 extra-base hits while posting a 2.52 ERA and holding opponents to a .222 batting average.

"It's been fun, and I don't see them taking their foot off the pedal," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said.

With three hits, including a three-run double in the sixth inning of Friday's 10-3 win to open the "I-70 Series," St. Louis' Ivan Herrera is batting .419 with 18 RBIs in just 13 games this season.

"I want to do good for the guys," Herrera, who missed more than a month with a knee issue, told FanDuel Sports Network Midwest. "We've been grinding. This team is really awesome."

Saturday's scheduled St. Louis starter, Miles Mikolas (2-2, 4.35 ERA), has pitched well in 2025, but he's completed six innings only once in his eight starts. However, the Cardinals have won his last three after losing the first five.

On Sunday, he yielded a homer, three other hits, a walk and struck out five over 5 1/3 innings of a 6-1 win at Washington.

The right-hander gave up seven hits and fanned 19 while pitching 17 scoreless innings in his first two career starts against the Royals. Then last season, Mikolas allowed five runs and eight hits over four innings during an Aug. 9, 2024, start at Kansas City.

The Royals' Jonathan India is 8-for-22 with three homers and a double versus Mikolas, while Salvador Perez, Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey are a combined 8-for-19 against him. However, Kansas City star Bobby Witt Jr. is 0-for-6 when facing Mikolas.

Witt had two hits Friday and is batting .370 in seven career home games versus St. Louis, but the Royals went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

"We need to string some more hits together," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.

Kansas City's 1-5 rut followed a 16-2 spurt, which came after the Royals lost six in a row.

Also on Friday, Royals Opening Day starter Cole Ragans exited in the sixth inning with left groin tightness. That came hours after the club announced that scheduled Saturday starter Seth Lugo will have his turn in the rotation skipped due to finger inflammation.

Quatraro said promising prospect Noah Cameron (1-0, 0.00 ERA) "most likely" will be recalled from Triple-A Omaha to make his second career start -- and first at home. In his major league debut April 30 versus Tampa Bay, Cameron didn't allow his only hit until the seventh inning and lasted 6 1/3 while striking out five with three walks during Kansas City's 3-0 win.

From nearby Saint Joseph, Mo., the left-hander, who will turn 26 in July, grew up a Royals fan and was selected by the club in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

"It's awesome to be able to represent (the Royals)," Cameron said. "It's special."

He'll try to cool off St. Louis' Lars Nootbaar, who is batting .371 during an eight-game hitting streak.

--Field Level Media