Paul Goldschmidt and Alec Burleson hit home runs, Miles Mikolas pitched into the seventh inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Washington Nationals 6-0 on Monday.
Burleson drove in three runs for the Cardinals, who won three out of four games in the series and have now won six of their last eight games overall. Since Mother’s Day, St. Louis has compiled a record of 33-18, which is the second-best in the majors behind Cleveland (32-16).
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Mikolas remarked, “You look back to last year, and it’s about time we started playing like we should. Last year, the fans were upset with us because we weren’t playing good baseball.
The boos started a bit early this year, but we’ve managed to turn it around. Our young players are stepping up, having quality at-bats, and playing strong defense. Our veterans are also finding their form.”
Goldschmidt hit his 12th home run of the season off left-hander Mitchell Parker in the fourth inning. The veteran slugger, who now has 352 career home runs, is tied with Ryan Braun and Ellis Burks for 96th place in Major League Baseball history. He needs 11 more hits to reach the 2,000-hit milestone.
Manager Oliver Marmol praised Goldschmidt’s performance, saying, “He had a productive day today. He arrived early, worked with hitting coach Turner Ward, and felt confident about his preparation. It was significant for him to hit that home run. Earlier, he had just missed one. Maintaining confidence in his swing is crucial for him.”
Burleson contributed with a two-run single and his 14th home run of the season. He hit .300 (9 for 30) with two home runs during the recent road trip.
Mikolas (7-7) allowed six hits over 6 1/3 innings to earn his first win at Washington since July 29, 2022. The right-hander has won four of his last five decisions since June 5 and has pitched six or more innings in 12 of his 19 starts this season.
