The Cardinals lost Opening Day to the Brewers on March 28.

Miles Mikolas got the start, and was unable to continue his success from 2018. He surrendered five earned runs in five innings, while striking out three batters and issuing one walk. The bullpen, however, shutout the Brewers for three innings; Dominic Leone threw a scoreless inning with one strikeout, John Brebbia struck out one Brewer in a scoreless frame and John Gant allowed a lone base hit in his inning of work.

“Mikolas was a fluke. He had one good year and then got a mega-extension and now he can’t perform,” junior Ethan Seymore said.

Wong was the top performer. He hit two home-runs and recorded three runs batted in. Bader was the only other Cardinal to have more than two hits in the game, launching a solo homer and getting a single. Offensively, St. Louis struck out 11 times and went 0-2 with runners in scoring position. There was some controversy when Shildt pinch hit Martinez for Wong in the ninth. After Wong had two home-runs on the day. Martinez took a pitch to the wall, but his game-tying home-run was robbed by Cain.

“Shildt not letting Wong bat in the ninth after he hit two home-runs in the game doesn’t make any sense to me,” junior Jack Ives said.

Josh Hader shut down the Cardinals without any issue in the final two innings. He struck out four Redbirds in two scoreless frames with no base runners allowed. The Cardinals have never had any success against Hader since he has made the Major Leagues.

“The day St. Louis can do some damage off of Hader is the day they can take back the central,” junior Harrison Reibow said.

The Cardinals have lost on Opening Day in back to back years.