NEW YORK — In a bind from the beginning, starter Miles Mikolas got the one pitch he needed but not the out he wanted, and in a blink the Cardinals were behind, again.
Their breath knocked out of them, again.
Their ability to counterpunch lacking.
Still.
Twelve pitches into his start Friday night against the New York Mets, Mikolas had three runners on base, no outs on the scoreboard, and a mess on his hands. He got a double play from Francisco Lindor to regain a grip on the inning, and then – a double slipped down the line, a liner sizzled to the outfield, and in two swings the Cardinals were down by three runs.