While he couldn’t quite finish the job, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas came about as close to throwing a no-hitter as is humanly possible.
Mikolas entered the ninth inning three outs short of a no-no. The Pittsburgh Pirates had scored a run off of him, but it was unearned, as Bryan Reynolds reached on an error, then was brought around to score on a pair of groundouts. Mikolas retired Michael Perez and Tucupita Marcano to start the ninth. Then, after falling behind 2-0, got the count back to 2-2 to Cal Mitchell, leaving Mikolas one strike away from a no-hitter. It didn’t happen.
Mitchell hit a fly ball to deep centerfield. It initially seemed like Harrison Bader had a play on the ball but he couldn’t quite track it down.
Miles Mikolas loses a no hitter with two strikes in the 9th inning pic.twitter.com/GuPSZSAt8v
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 15, 2022
Mikolas summed up the near no-hitter succinctly.
Miles Mikolas on losing his no-hitter with two outs and two strikes in the 9th: "It kind of stinks.''
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 15, 2022
He was not the only one to feel that way.
Ughhhhhh. Miles Mikolas one stroke away from a No-hitter, gives up a ground-rule double.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) June 15, 2022
Any time a no-hitter gets broken up with two outs in the ninth is just painful. St. Louis right-hander Miles Mikolas is done after 129 pitches of excellence against Pittsburgh. Phenomenal performance regardless.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 15, 2022
ah man i feel bad seeing Mikolas lose the no no one out away. that stinks.
— patrick (@muldowney) June 15, 2022
Miles Mikolas was one strike away from a no-hitter. What a phenomenal outing.
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) June 15, 2022
While the lost no-hitter might leave a bitter taste for the Cardinals and their fans, Tuesday was a great day for them. Mikolas’ outing helped St. Louis to a 9-1 victory in what was Game 2 of a double header. The Cardinals defeated the Pirates 3-1 in the first game. Paul Goldschmidt was a constant catalyst, wearing out Pittsburgh’s pitching staff in both ends of the doubleheader sweep.
