***Official 2021 STL Cardinals Thread***

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Rams Fan

There was literally no good option unless you trusted Mikolas coming out of the bullpen in that situation.

That's an indictment on Mo.

I would have had no problem with Mikolas or Kim starting the 9th, but to put them in a situation like that, which they aren't used to in the middle of an inning, is asking for disaster.

Hudson or Flaherty would've resulted in Wacha 2.0

Retrospect: Shildt should've just done an opener strategy with Lester, then have Wainwright or Mikolas come in.

If you go with Mikolas, you're facing Lux and probably McKinney. I like facing Pujols and Souza quite a bit more there. Additionally, Gallegos finger thing popped up fairly quickly and so Mikolas wouldn't have had a ton of time to get warm. Why go to a starter yet when you have an effective lefty reliever already warm who can burn some of the Dodgers (already short) bench? And there's really no good argument starting Kim in the 9th over McFarland, who's significantly out-pitched Kim of late.

I'm not just throwing shit at the wall here - I've gone through this before I said something as stupid as "Why not Happ or Lester?!?!". He had 2 choices, - Reyes and Whitley. There aren't very good arguments in favor of literally anyone else we had available.