WASHINGTON – Miles Mikolas’ outing in the Nationals’ 7-3 loss to the Marlins on Tuesday had myriad elements wrapped into one appearance. There were back-to-back-to-back home runs countered with his longest outing of the season and mixed in with much-improved velo.
“The velocity was the highest we’ve seen it,” manager Blake Butera said. “He mixed speeds well and threw strikes. It was really just that fifth inning, just taking a look under the hood and seeing what it was he wasn’t able to execute.”
The Nationals tabbed left-hander Richard Lovelady as an opener to pitch the first two innings, and Mikolas came in for his 13th appearance of the year. Mikolas pitched six innings with six hits, six runs, two walks and four strikeouts.
Element 1: Increased velocity
Mikolas topped out at 93.6 mph in his first start of the season on March 28 against the Cubs. He built up to 95.4 mph in his last outing last Wednesday in Cleveland, and he surpassed that on Tuesday. Mikolas fired off 10 pitches 95.5 mph or faster, maxing out at 97 mph on a third-inning swinging strike against Kyle Stowers.
“It’s been a while [since I threw 97],” Mikolas, 37, said. “It used to feel great, and it still feels really neat. It’s nice to have a little bit extra in the tank when you need it.”
Mikolas credited mechanical work he has done with the coaching staff and an emphasis on flexibility and range of motion with the training staff.
“[We’ve done] a top-to-bottom approach just to get my body where it needs to be and my delivery where it needs to be,” Mikolas said. “Everybody here has been incredible, and I think that shows in the way the ball's been coming out of my hand.”
Element 2: Three consecutive home runs allowed
In the fifth inning, Mikolas allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs to Joe Mack (Statcast-projected 410 feet, 106.7 mph), Heriberto Hernández (403 feet, 104.3 mph) and Otto Lopez (414 feet, 107.1 mph). It was Mack’s first career homer.
“They weren’t great pitches,” Mikolas said. “They were fastballs up and not where they were supposed to be. After the guys hit them, I was like, ‘Well, that’s not going to be good.’”
The last Nationals pitcher to allow back-to-back-to-back home runs was Paolo Espino on Oct. 4, 2022, against the Mets. That day, the first three batters – Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil – went yard off Espino at Citi Field.
Mikolas had never allowed three consecutive home runs in his career. He did allow three homers in a single inning as a member of the Cardinals on Aug. 29, 2022, at the Reds. In the fifth frame, he yielded a trio of home runs over a five-batter span.
“When I can keep the ball down, I’m really successful,” Mikolas said. “Once I start to float up that thigh, belt area with those fastballs, big league hitters are going to hit that. … Three guys in a row, it happened quick. I was able to come back out the next inning and make a little bit of an adjustment, and I felt pretty good the rest of the game.”
Element 3: Longest outing of 2026
After allowing the trio of homers in the fifth, Mikolas did not allow another hit until a Stowers single in the eighth. He pitched into the ninth inning, exiting on 92 pitches (58 strikes) after allowing two singles with left-hander Owen Caissie coming to the plate.
“I thought Miles was throwing the ball well,” Butera said. “After that fifth inning, he settled in there and had been pitching well. When you’re down to start the inning there in the ninth, we wanted to give Miles an opportunity. Once a couple guys got on with the left-handers coming up, we wanted to go to [Mitchell Parker] there.”
Mikolas believed that if he locked down the Marlins’ offense, the Nats’ bats could heat up. They ended up cutting the Marlins’ lead to one (4-3) in the seventh.
“I know that if I can keep it there and toe the line that at some point, our offense is due to have a big inning,” Mikolas said. “We kind of scrapped and scraped some runs together there, a swing or two away from really getting out in front of them and having a chance to win that ballgame.”