This is an 8* HOMERUN ROUT on the Cardinals.

I like the Cards to bounce back in the finale of this three-game set with the Braves after dropping the first two, and before hitting the road for a difficult trip starting in Milwaukee.

Miles Mikolas is 0-0 with a 13.50 ERA for the Cards after allowing five runs off ten hits over just 3 1/3's innings to the Jays on Thursday: "Death by a thousand cuts sometimes," Mikolas said. "I don't think I can remember a game where a team has made that much soft contact and had just about everything drop in for a hit. Broken bats. Just kind of rolling them through the infield."

Mikolas threw 12 scoreless innings in Spring training though, so I say the Jays game is an outlier. While only 1-3 lifetime vs. ATL, Mikolas does own the respectable 3.04 ERA over those five appearances.

Bryce Elder has been recalled from Triple A to make this start for the Braves. In ten big-league starts last year he went 2-4 with a 3.17 ERA.

But, I still say that Mikolas is the correct call here.

Look for the revenge-minded home side to find a way to salvage this final game; lay the price, the play is ST. LOUIS.

Good luck, NP