Miles Mikolas’ tone-deaf comments prove why Cardinals need to boot him off the team

The St. Louis Cardinals were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game series, and it never really felt like they were in any of the games. That remained the case on Sunday, when starter Miles Mikolas put the Cardinals in a 4-0 hole early in the game thanks to a leadoff triple and then another big blast by third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

Miles Mikolas lacks accountability in what he felt was a decent start.

Last season was a miserable year for Mikolas, as he had an ERA over five for the first time since 2014 and was touched for 26 homers. Early in the new year, the veteran righty promised to be better because he felt he "owed" it to the fans so they were not excited when he was gone. That promise has been one he has failed to hold, because he is arguably an even worse pitcher than he was last year, even if he isn't necessarily the worst pitcher on his own team's starting staff. The trend continued against the D'Backs, as he allowed two homers to Suarez and only lasted four innings in a series where all of the starters struggled to give length.

In his postgame interview, Mikolas once again felt that he pitched better than he did and refused to take accountability for yet another bad outing. After a miserable start in Boston earlier in the year where Mikolas gave up nine runs in just 2.2 innings, the "Lizard King" felt that he ran into some bad luck and a hot hitting team despite making what he felt to be good pitches. Apparently the bad luck results from throwing 91 mph fastballs or hanging breaking balls down the middle to a guy with 33 homers on the year.

Bernie Miklasz tore into the Cardinals and Mikolas' postgame comments in a well-deserved manner. Beyond the two round trippers Mikolas gave up to Suarez, Mikolas believed that his performance was just "two bad pitches, both homers" while adding that his four-inning start was "beyond that, pretty solid." Shockingly, he failed to point out the leadoff triple he allowed to Corbin Carroll and the two walks he surrendered. The first inning may have been extended slightly due to a bad decision by second baseman Brendan Donovan, who curiously threw home rather than getting an out at first, but Carroll would have scored anyway. An out would have helped, but Suarez was going to get an at-bat in the first inning regardless.

Clearly, Mikolas is having a bit of hard time accepting reality as he plays out the last year of another ill-fated extension. He is making close to $18 million this season and has a full no-trade clause, but interest around the league was not expected to be very high anyway. An option that has not been talked about being on the table by management is removing Mikolas from the roster without a trade and working through a release or DFA of the righty. A DFA would only be used to try to get someone to show interest and take his remaining salary, so it is likely he would clear that limbo and end up released anyway.

For someone who was thought of as a clubhouse leader and bringer of good vibes, the lack of accountability is concerning. Would it actually make a difference if he admitted to being hit hard and failing to give the team a chance to win? Probably not, but it could set the tone that mediocrity (or worse) should not be accepted by this, or any, organization. Right now, though, the Cardinals are failing to bite the bullet and make what should not be a tough decision.