The St. Louis Cardinals are so happy with the job that Mike Shildt has done since he took over as manager that they've removed the interim tag from his title.

Shildt has gotten the Cardinals back in playoff contention since they fired Mike Matheny the day before the All-Star break.

"Why now? We could have waited but we feel like the time is right," John Mozeliak said. "As we stated from day one, we would use this time to really see how he handled the job. We just felt like we could not do better. Mike has shown he can do the job. Mike checks a lot of boxes along the way.

"It made sense to do it now. Everything is going well, and more importantly momentum is building behind our players. Having Mike Shildt as manager is a tremendous story. I hope the next chapter is even better."

The Cardinals have gone 27-12 since July 15, the most wins in baseball over that span.

"I have been given a lot of credit for what's happened in the past six weeks," Shildt said. "I appreciate it, but I cannot accept it. The players make the plays and run the bases. They are a special group and I'm glad to be a part of it."