Baserunning blunder silences chance of Cardinals comeback in loss to Brewers

Daniel Guerrero, St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Sep 20, 2025

Published in Baseball

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ST. LOUIS — With the top of their lineup due up and an automatic runner at second base to begin the bottom of the 10th inning after the Brewers took a one-run lead in the previous inning, a costly baserunning error quieted the Cardinals' chances to draw even with Milwaukee Saturday night at Busch Stadium.

On a ground-ball All-Star Brendan Donovan hit back to the pitcher Jared Koenig to lead off the 10th inning, Lars Nootbaar lingered off the second base to catch Koenig's attention. Koenig looked back at Nootbaar and threw to first baseman Andruw Monasterio to record the out of Donovan. Nootbaar, who was brought off the bench in the 10th inning on defense after Yohel Pozo pinch-hit for Victor Scott II an inning prior, attempted to race for third base on the throw. He was thrown out by Monasterio at third base on a double play to begin the inning.

The chance to come back and avoid a loss to Milwaukee ended an at-bat later when Ivan Herrera flew out to center field to seal a 3-2 defeat.

Sent into extra innings tied, 2-2, the Cardinals fell behind in the 10th inning when Brice Turang singled home Jackson Chourio with two outs off lefty JoJo Romero.

In potentially his final start at Busch Stadium as a member of the Cardinals, Miles Mikolas lasted five-plus innings and was charged with two earned runs in an outing that took 95 pitches to complete. Mikolas faced 23 batters through five innings and surrendered a run on a two-out single from Joey Ortiz in the second inning.

The veteran righty and free-agent-to-be returned to face right-handed hitting Caleb Durbin in the sixth. A double off the wall in left field from Durbin spelled the end of Mikolas’ night and put the eventual game-tying run on base.

As he walked off the mound following his 30th start of the season and 202nd as a member of the Cardinals since he signed with the club as a free agent in 2018, Mikolas, a two-time All-Star with the Cardinals, tipped his cap to fans in attendance and received applause.

Brewers starting catcher William Contreras exited Saturday’s game in the top of the eighth inning with an apparent injury after appearing to be hit on his left hand an inning earlier, a swing from Herrera.

One and done innings

During scoring chances in the fourth and fifth innings, the Cardinals managed to push a run across in each frame but ended each inning with runners on base.

Held hitless through the first 3 1/3 innings against Brewers starter Chad Patrick, a one-out single in the fourth inning from Herrera gave the Cardinals their first base runner and kick-started their offense.

Behind Herrera’s one-out single, Alec Burleson singled to left field, and Nolan Arenado drove in a run with a single in front of left fielder Jake Bauers.

The momentum from the three consecutive one-out hits slowed when shortstop Joey Ortiz made a diving play on Thomas Saggese's ground ball up the middle to record a force out of Arenado. Burleson advanced to third base on the force out, but he ended the inning when Nolan Gorman.

After a sacrifice bunt from Scott II advanced Pedro Pages to third base and Jordan Walker to second base in the fifth inning, Brendan Donovan gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead with a one-out single to right field off lefty Aaron Ashby.

The chance for the Cardinals’ top of the lineup to continue adding onto the lead they just claimed ended when Herrera grounded into a double play.

Arenado’s defense shines

When the Brewers put runners on base in the fourth and ninth innings, Arenado’s glove at third base played a role in keeping them limited.

In the fourth inning, after Andrew Vaughn doubled with two outs, Mikolas got Ortiz to hammer a sinker for a ground-ball that bounced to third base. Arenado charged in on the slow roller, fielded it with his bare hand near the edge of the infield grass, and made an off-balance throw for the inning-ending out at first base.

During the ninth inning, a heads-up play from Arenado helped the Cardinals send Saturday’s game to the ninth inning in a 2-2 tie.

On a broken bat ground-ball from Ortiz that dribbled toward the mound with Vaughn on first base after his walk, Arenado fielded the ground-ball on the pitcher’s mound and made the split decision to throw to second base to nab Vaughn for the first out of the inning.

Scott II key in different ways

Along with delivering a defensive gem of his own, Scott II found small ways to play a role Saturday night.

The rookie center fielder made a diving play that may have prevented a run and dropped two successful sacrifice bunts during at-bats in the fifth and seventh innings.

On a sinking line drive off the bat of Christian Yelich in the fifth inning, Scott II charged in and made a diving grab to record the second out of the fifth inning. Yelich’s lineout had an expected batting average of .700, per Statcast.

Mikolas managed to escape the inning unscathed two batters later.

Scott II’s ability to play small ball at the plate advanced runners in the fifth inning and helped produce a run from Donovan. Although the Cardinals did not score a run in the seventh, it was Scott II's second sacrifice bunt of the night that got a potential go-ahead run into scoring position.

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