Shots fired? Miles Mikolas challenges Cardinals after brutal weekend defeat to Cubs

The St. Louis Cardinals entered this past weekend's series against the Chicago Cubs with an opportunity to keep the good times rolling. They had just taken two of three against the Texas Rangers, outscoring them 18-2 in the final two games of that series.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals were unable to maintain their momentum against a Cubs team that is looking ahead toward 2025 and beyond. They lost three of four at Wrigley Field, and very easily could've been swept had they not pulled off a stunning comeback against a lackluster Chicago bullpen.

Failing to win or at the very least split this series could prove to be costly for a Cardinals team that is now 3.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot. FanGraphs gives them just a 20.8 percent chance to make the postseason as of this writing.

The Cardinals were obviously disappointed in the results but nobody was more irate than Miles Mikolas who wasn't shy when it came to calling out his team.

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Miles Mikolas challenges Cardinals teammates to prove themselves after brutal series loss vs. Cubs

“You know, if we’re going to get there [to the playoffs], we’re going to have to beat those teams and we’ve got to beat them now. We’ve got to show other teams and show ourselves that we’re a playoff team. We’ve got to come out and really give these teams a run for their money,” Mikolas said.

He's spot on here. It's time for the Cardinals to prove themselves. With matchups against the Royals, Dodgers, Brewers, Twins, Padres, and Yankees all coming this month, things could go very south very quickly. If they played against those strong opponents at the level they did against the Cubs, their season could very well be over before September begins. Losing a series to a bad Cubs team could come back to haunt them with such a daunting upcoming schedule.

Hearing Mikolas call the team out, though, is interesting considering the fact that he struggled mightily in his start on Sunday, allowing four runs in four innings after being handed an early 2-0 lead. Mikolas now has a 5.12 ERA in 23 starts, proving to be the weakest link in what's been a surprisingly decent Cardinals rotation for much of the season.

“If we’re going to turn it on, we’ve got to turn it on now,” Mikolas said. “I know we’ve got a good stretch coming up against winning ball clubs -- teams that if we make the playoffs we’re probably going to see like the Dodgers and Padres -- so now is the time to really turn it on.”

If the Cardinals are going to make the playoffs, they're going to have to win series against formidable foes, there's no getting around that. They had their chance to take advantage of a weaker opponent like the Cubs, but fell very short in that regard. Now they face an uphill battle, and a tougher schedule is only going to make their path harder.

Do they have that in them? Saying yes after they just lost a frustrating series to the Cubs is probably wishful thinking more than anything. They have to prove it.