Miles Mikolas pitched eight shutout innings, Nolan Arenado hit an RBI double and Nolan Gorman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Kansas City Royals 2-1 on Tuesday night to split the two-game set between the I-70 rivals.

Mikolas (4-1) matched a career high with 10 strikeouts and allowed three hits in working a season-high eight innings. The strikeout total matched the 34-year-old right-hander’s effort against Milwaukee in 2019.

Mikolas threw 102 pitches.

The Cardinals needed a defensive gem in the fourth inning to keep the game scoreless. With two outs and MJ Melendez on second, Michael Massey singled to right. Brendan Donovan threw a strike to the plate and Willson Contreras applied the tag to Melendez.

Giovanny Gallegos replaced Mikolas in the ninth and gave up a double and single to start the inning. Vinnie Pasquantino scored on a fielder’s choice by Bobby Witt Jr., cutting the deficit to a run. Gallegos went on to retire the next two hitters and record his seventh save.

The Cardinals got a run in the sixth with two outs against Carlos Hernández (0-2). Paul Goldschmidt reached first on an infield single. Arenado hit a run-scoring double to left-center. Arenado has a team-high 18 RBIs in inter-league play this season.

Zack Greinke started for the Royals but didn’t figure in the decision. The 39-year-old right-hander pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk with six strikeouts.

UP NEXT

Royals: The club has off Wednesday and Thursday before before hosting Colorado on Friday. No starter for either club has been named.

Cardinals: The team has Wednesday and Thursday off before playing Friday at Pittsburgh. No starter has been determined.