5 takeaways from the Cardinals’ 7-1 opening day defeat

Miles Mikolas was Mikolas and the bats had few answers for Tyler Glasnow.

Sports fans get premonitions all the time. A thing that most likely could occur in their mind and also has a decent chance of happening in actuality. The problem is that the fans always think their future ideas are always right and will happen, making it hard to pack credit behind such a flimsy theory. I have a theory or premonition or two to uncork about the St. Louis Cardinals’ opening day loss in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Here are five takeaways from a mostly flat day of baseball.

UNDERWHELMING MIKOLAS

Two straight spring openers of working at Crescent Plumbing Supply, and the Cards starter has ruined both of them. Before 15 minutes can pass off the clock following my departure from work, the game is already out of hand and fans are waving white flag left and right. Last year, it was the Blue Jays clubbing Mikolas to the brink. This week, it was Shohei Ohtani and Los Angeles. His interpreter could have laid a good heavy bet on the Dodgers giving Miles a beating.

3-0, 5-0, and then cue the bullpen afterwards. After only 4.1 innings, Mikolas was gone. He can be very good, but he can be bad just as often. The pitcher has a charismatically big mouth and ran it off about the Dodgers spending money and proving them wrong, and went on to get a loss. We all know they’re tough and impossible to outspend. It’s been that way for a while, Miles. Next time, shut up and pitch.

He’s good for two things: innings and starts. Outside of a never to be seen again Cy Young type season, he’s right around average for an MLB starter. Not that exciting, but on cue. Mikolas is what he is on the mound. No change.

GOLDY IS LOCKED AND LOADED

The only fella that saved the Cards from a shutout and no hitter was their quiet yet poised first baseman. Paul Goldschmidt erased spring training slumps with a solo home run and single off Glasnow, and added another base knock later. He looks comfortable at the plate, and the swing is short and potent. He’ll get into his occasional strikeout binges, but can still crush baseballs.

His pending contract status after the year leaves plenty of intrigue as to how the team approaches him about an extension or moves towards a trade if the season goes very poorly again. 2023 wasn’t his best, but he was far from the worst problem, especially following an MVP season. Seeing Goldschmidt destroy baseballs and scoop them at first is a joy, and something I’d like to see not go to waste again this season. Signing players to sell tickets is a wise strategy, but don’t forget about winning the games.

A GLIMPSE OF SCOTT II ENERGY

It was only an infield grounder that ended up an error that allowed him to reach base, but Victor Scott II showed Cardinals fans what he can do in the field with some range and on the bases. There’s an extra spring in his step, and enough to make infielders and pitchers nervous. Soon enough, coaches and managers will have to guard against the idea that Scott II could lay one down or flat out beat a close play at first. Maybe it takes their mind off the big boppers in the lineup.

That’s a lethal weapon to have, and he’s only 23. He’s hit well at A-ball and AA-ball, so doubting him hitting at a professional level doesn’t have much merit outside the usual “MLB” is different. I’m here for Scott II because he offers something different.

HELLO, RILEY O’BRIEN

The tall right handed receiver was one of the few players on the roster that I didn’t know much about outside of his entry point to the organization. After watching him fall behind Ohtani 3-0, and then proceed to strike him out told me a lot more than a mere Google search. While he struggled in his inning of work with a run allowed and two walks, there were flashes of his ability with a pair of strikeouts, including carving up Ohtani inside.

He throws hard and brings movement to most of his pitchers, and mixing that makeup into deliveries popping in at 97 mph is a weapon for Oliver Marmol to use in a timely fashion. Don’t overwork or ruin his arm. See what it’s got.

Special Note: Matthew Liberatore was the only pitcher to go unscathed against the Dodgers. A relief role could be a plus for both sides.

REST OF LINEUP STAYS ASLEEP

In the words of Harry Doyle, this team only had three hits and one damn guy collected them all?! Whether it was a line drive or weak fly, this group was a flat line outside of Goldschmidt. Great pitching will do that, but the potency of this underrated offense will hinge on that middle order consistently doing damage.

It won’t get any easier over the next few weeks with the schedule for the Cardinals. Like the pitching, fans will get to see what they’re made of fairly quick. That could mean an early burial before the inner division play fires up. All they have to do is tread water, and find some answers. Leave it to the fanbase to lose their minds before June.

You can chalk up the opening day loss as a simple case of one team being overmatched, from the starters to the lineup to the bullpen. Or it could be a glimpse of the vast distance between the great teams and the trying to be good.

But, as I urged Facebook friends yesterday, it’s best to pace your rage and judgement in a very long season. There’s 161 games left. The NFL doesn’t allow for haste, but MLB does.

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