ST. LOUIS – Miles Mikolas was ejected from Thursday’s series opener against the Chicago Cubs after plunking Ian Happ with a pitch, just moments after an errant backswing from Happ hit Willson Contreras on top of his mask, led to sudden pain and forced him to leave early.

Umpires allege there was intent in Mikolas hitting Happ, leading to the ejection. It ended the St. Louis Cardinals veteran’s night after just 14 pitches and three batters faced.

“I was a little surprised,” said Mikolas on the ejection via Bally Sports Midwest. “I threw a pitch inside, it got [Happ]. He was just going to take his base. There was no chirping or anything between sides. He was taking his base, and I was waiting on the next ball, go get the next hitter. [The umpires] had a meeting, and they decided to toss me.”

Umpire crew chief Lance Barksdale commented on the situation after the game to St. Louis Post-Dispatch Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold, stating all four umpires on the field ruled Mikolas’ actions intentional, though didn’t address why the situation wasn’t ruled a warning over an ejection.

The Cardinals veteran and manager Oli Marmol don’t wholeheartedly agree with the reasoning.

“I can show you the scouting report my locker,” you know,” said Mikolas. “I throw inside to a lot of guys. I threw it inside and it hit them. There was no warning, and the umpires couldn’t believe whatever they want to believe. They had a meeting, and that was their choice.”

“They believed there was intent there and that’s all the reasoning the umpires needed,” Mikolas continued. “Personally, everyone’s entitled to see what happens and, and make their own decision, have their own opinions and that was theirs.”

“They said there was intent and he meant to hit him, therefore by rule they have to eject him,” said Marmol in his postgame presser via Bally Sports Midwest. Later asked if there should’ve been a warning before the ejection, Marmol said, “Yeah, if the explanation was that there was intent behind the first pitch [one that went inside before Happ was plunked], that I feel like there should’ve been a warning after the first pitch. It could’ve saved everybody a lot of trouble.”

Marmol was also tossed from the game, saying it was a matter of sticking up for his team.

“Guys weren’t happy about the other side. [The Cubs were] just laughing about the situation. We had a catcher go down and he was bleeding. They took offense to that. The umpire and Jack [Flaherty, from the bench] were having a conversation. It led to my ejection.”

Mikolas, though not acknowledging there was intent in his hit-by-pitch, says it’s also important to stick up for his backstop.

“In any circumstance, I’ve got I’ve got Wilson’s back,” said Mikolas. “He’s my catcher. I consider him a really good friend. Every single one of these guys in this locker room, I go to bat for 100%. That’s something I think we as a team believe in is just always having each other’s backs. And I guess that’s what the umpires thought I was doing, and it’s unfortunate that that there was no warning or, or anything like that.”

Contreras was struck on the top right side of his helmet swing by Happ, his former teammate. He says he was battling to stay in the game after treatment from trainers but ultimately removed. He and Happ shared a brief hug as he left the game.

“The good thing is that I feel good. I have no headache, nothing like that. It’s over,” said Contreras, currently considered day-to-day, via Bally Sports Midwest.

The Cardinals, now standing at 46-58, have three more games with the Chicago Cubs before Tuesday’s trade deadline, one in which the team could move some pending free agents.