Goldschmidt and Burleson go deep to back Mikolas as Cardinals blank Nationals 6-0

WASHINGTON (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt and Alec Burleson homered, Miles Mikolas pitched into the seventh inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Washington Nationals 6-0 on Monday.

Burleson drove in three runs for the Cardinals, who took three of four games in the series and have won six of eight overall. St. Louis is 33-18 since Mother’s Day, second-best in the majors behind Cleveland (32-16).

“You go all the way back to last year, it’s about time we start playing like we are supposed to," Mikolas said. “The fans got upset with us last year because we weren’t playing good ball. The boos I know started a little bit early this year and we’ve managed to turn it around. We’ve got young guys that are stepping up, having great at-bats, playing great defense. All of our veterans are coming around.”

Goldschmidt’s 12th homer of the season came off left-hander Mitchell Parker in the fourth. The 36-year-old slugger has 352 career home runs, tying Ryan Braun and Ellis Burks for 96th place in big league history. He needs 11 hits to reach 2,000.

“He had a really good work day today," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "Got here early and did some things with (hitting coach Turner Ward), felt good about it. It was good for him to get that homer. He just missed one earlier. Him being able to continue feeling good about his swing and play with confidence is going to be important. That homer was a big one.”

Burleson had a two-run single and his 14th homer. He hit .300 (9 for 30) with two home runs on the road trip.

Mikolas (7-7) scattered six hits over 6 1/3 innings for his first win at Washington since July 29, 2022. The right-hander has won four of his last five decisions since June 5. He has gone six or more innings in 12 of 19 starts this season.

A change in arm angle has helped the movement on his sinker.

“Very important,” Marmol said before the game. “It’s allowed for more action on the sinker, kind of later bite to it, what’s led to softer contact. So it’s been good.”

Mikolas also thought his fastball “had a little bit of zip on it" Monday.

“I thought I was locating it pretty well. It sank when I needed it to and didn’t when I told it not to. Nice,” he said.

Brendan Donovan went 2 for 4 with an RBI double, extending his on-base streak to 21 games — tied with Phillies star Bryce Harper for the longest active streak in the majors. Donovan is batting .375 (21 for 56) in 15 career games against Washington.

Parker (5-5) gave up two runs — one earned — and six hits over seven innings. He walked one, struck out six and threw 63 of his 91 pitches for strikes.

The Nationals completed a 3-5 homestand and have lost 10 of 14 overall.

Burleson's solo homer made it 3-0 in the eighth, and Goldschmidt scored on Donovan's double. Burleson added a two-run single in the ninth.

“Not the same one or two guys can do it every game so I think depth is a strength of this team, especially when we are healthy," Goldschmidt said. "You always have a lot of chances if we get guys on base, and hopefully someone will come through.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Activated outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder José Fermin to Triple-A Memphis. Nootbaar played seven rehab games at Double-A Springfield, batting .261. He returned to the lineup for the first time since May 29, going 1 for 4.

“Feels good,” Nootbaar said. “You never really know obviously until you step up here, but in terms of adjusting to the timing and everything, playing baseball down there, started to feel good.”

Nationals: Called up right-hander Joan Adon and optioned left-hander DJ Herz to Triple-A Rochester. Adon, who has been converted from a starter to a long reliever, struck out five and allowed three hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings over five appearances at Triple-A. He gave up two runs and three hits in one inning for Washington on Monday.

UP NEXT

The Cardinals head home to begin a six-game homestand beginning with two against the cross-state rival Royals, sending right-hander Andre Pallante (4-3, 4.00 ERA) to the mound against Kansas City right-hander Michael Wacha (5-6, 3.74).

The Nationals start a six-game road swing Tuesday night at the New York Mets. Washington RHP Jake Irvin (7-6, 2.80 ERA) faces LHP Jose Quintana (3-5, 4.22). Irvin tossed eight shutout innings of one-hit ball last Thursday against the Mets.

This story has been corrected to fix Adon's pitching line in the Trainer's Room section.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt runs toward home to score on a double by Brendan Donovan during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar gestures at first base after he singled during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood catches a fly ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals' Masyn Winn for an out during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson, left, celebrates after his home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson, right, celebrates after his home run with third base coach Ron "Pop" Warner, left, during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

St. Louis Cardinals' Willson Contreras is hit by a pitch from Washington Nationals reliever Joan Adon during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Mitchell Parker throws during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar hits a single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt, left, celebrates his home run with Nolan Arenado (28) during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, July 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Advocacy groups behind a so-called suicide capsule said Sunday they have suspended the process of taking applications to use it — which numbered over 370 last month — as a criminal investigation into its first use in Switzerland is completed.

The president of Switzerland-based The Last Resort, Florian Willet, is being held in pretrial detention, said the group and Exit International, an affiliate founded in Australia over a quarter century ago.

Swiss police arrested Willet and several other people following the death of an unidentified 64-year-old woman from the U.S. Midwest who on Sept. 23 became the first person to use the device, known as the “Sarco,”in a forest in the northern Schaffhausen region near the German border.

Others initially detained were released from custody, authorities have said.

Switzerland has some of the most permissive laws in the world when it comes to assisted suicide, though the first use of the “Sarco” has prompted a debate among lawmakers.

Laws in the rich Alpine country permit assisted suicide so long as the person takes his or her life with no “external assistance” and those who help the person die do not do so for “any self-serving motive.”

The advocacy groups said in a statement Sunday that 371 people were “in the process of applying” to use the Sarco in Switzerland as of Sept. 23 and applications were suspended after its first use.

Exit International, whose founder Dr. Philip Nitschke is based in the Netherlands, is behind the 3D-printed device that cost over $1 million to develop.

The “Sarco” capsule is designed to allow a person sitting in a reclining seat inside to push a button that injects nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber, allowing the person to fall asleep and die by suffocation in a few minutes.

Exit International has said Willet was the only person present during the woman's death, and described it as “peaceful, fast and dignified.” Those claims could not be independently verified.

FILE - A 'suicide pod' known as 'The Sarco' is seen in Rotterdam, Netherlands, July 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahmad Seir, File)