ST. LOUIS -- Andrew Miller's assignment in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Brewers was precisely the sort of spot the Cardinals had in mind when they targeted him as a free agent last winter.

It was the eighth inning of a tie game, and reigning National League MVP Award winner Christian Yelich was due to lead off. The left-handed hitter had had his way with Miller already this season. Yelich hit a home run off Miller in their first meeting, walked in his next plate appearance and tallied an RBI single the last time.

On Tuesday, however, Miller finally had his moment.

Buoyed by a mechanical adjustment he made to his delivery, Miller executed three consecutive sliders on the edge of the strike zone. The first two went away to Yelich, who swung through one and fouled off the other. The third froze him on the inside corner (see below graphic).

“He’s a heck of a hitter,” Miller said. “You have to find a way to get him out occasionally. I’ve been trying to make the right adjustment the entire time. It hasn’t been for lack of effort. I felt good about what I was doing today, warming up. I think the big thing was executing the 0-2 pitch there. That was something I wanted to do. I think it’s a big game of momentum and, hopefully, something to build off of.”

Miller followed by retiring Yasmani Grandal and striking out Ryan Braun to give the lefty his first clean, full inning of the year. It came in his 12th appearance.

“That was Andrew Miller, what you saw [Tuesday],” Cards manager Mike Shildt said. “A really filthy slider that was on the plate. A strike out of the hand. That’s a pitch that’s hard to contend with.”

Now, the task is achieving that consistently. It’s been a series of steps forward, steps back for Miller in his first season in St. Louis, and, sure enough, he hardly had time to enjoy one dominant outing before slipping back into trouble on Wednesday. Tasked with closing out a game, Miller put a four-run lead in jeopardy when he allowed a single, walked two and hit a batter in the ninth.

One of his walks forced in a run and required manager Mike Shildt to call on closer Jordan Hicks to get the final out.

Command, particular of his slider, has been spotty all year, resulting in an elevated walk rate (14 percent) and too much hard contact. Per Statcast, Miller ranks in the bottom one percent of the Majors in barrel percentage (22.7 percent) and exit velocity (95.2 mph). Anything above 95 mph is classified as hard-hit.

For comparison, Miller’s highest barrel percentage over the previous four seasons had been 5.8 percent in 2015. Opponents averaged an exit velocity of 86.2 mph against him that year.

“I have a lot of confidence in myself as a pitcher,” he said. “You’re going to have stretches where everything doesn’t seem to be going the right way or you’re searching for something. You just have to grind your way out if it. It’s nice to see the results and build some momentum. I really felt like I made a good adjustment, and I’m looking forward to having something to stick with.”

Bader activated, Ponce de Leon optioned

Harrison Bader's 10-day stay on the injured list concluded on Wednesday, as the Cardinals activated him prior to their series finale. To make roster space for Bader, the club optioned fill-in starter Daniel Ponce de Leon to Triple-A Memphis one day after Ponce de Leon pitched five innings in a no-decision.

Bader’s return will (positively) complicate the Cardinals’ outfield situation. He returns at a time when the Cardinals are receiving superb production from his replacement, Jose Martinez, who has tallied 13 hits in 27 at-bats while starting the last seven games, slashing .481/.500/.630 in that span.

Concurrently, Dexter Fowler, who is batting .441 in his last nine games, and Marcell Ozuna, who has blasted eight homers and driven in 18 this year, are having offensive success. So where might Bader -- who plays elite defense, but is slashing .179/.347/.359 -- fit in?

“We’ll continue evaluating that,” Shildt said on Wednesday. “[We] definitely recognize that we have had production out of our outfield, which is a very positive thing. That’s a great opportunity to think about, when you have good options and good players. We’ll continue to take a look at it.”

Worth noting

• Michael Wacha is scheduled to get back on a mound Friday for a bullpen session that will test the strength of his left knee. If all goes well, Wacha, who is on the injured list because of tendinitis, will likely be plugged back into the rotation during next week’s series against the Nationals.

• After going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his rehab appearance on Tuesday, outfielder Tyler O’Neill (right elbow ulnar nerve subluxation) is expected back in the Double-A Springfield lineup Wednesday. As long as he doesn’t incur a setback, O’Neill will be activated from the injured list on Friday.