Every inning, Cardinals pitching coach Mike Maddux dutifully checks on his starter, offers a tip about his delivery or a thought on the strike zone. Early in Tuesday’s night game, Maddux mentioned to starter Miles Mikolas that he was holding on too long to his slider, yanking it instead of unleashing it, and Mikolas benefited from the tip.
He gained control of the slider and used it so well, so effectively, that he started noticing how Maddux stopped checking on him, at all. About the sixth inning, the pitching coach walked toward Mikolas, but turned back without saying anything.