After a past rough couple of days for the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday afternoon’s game has things looking up for the team. Of course, the team’s iconic duo, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are at the heart of the good vibes coming off of Sunday’s win. It only seemed fitting that Molina would catch a complete game by Wainwright, and Wainwright would pitch in Molina’s 2,000th game as a Cardinal. With 122 pitches Wainwright was able to help secure a win for the Cardinals, which was just what they needed.
A Complete Nine Innings
Wainwright has been a consistent pitcher for the Cardinals, despite the inconsistency in their schedule. Before Sunday’s game, he had a combined ERA of 2.65 across his four starts. Two of those four games have been wins. Waino added another win to his books after his start against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. Not only did he start this game, but he finished it. Being the oldest active player in the National League has nothing on Wainwright as he now has 23 complete games under his belt. Pitching a complete game is always a special moment in a pitchers career, but this time around was extra special for Wainwright as it was his 39th birthday. This complete game also benefited the bullpen, as they were given a break after being utilized to their max due to starting pitchers not pitching far into the game and doubleheaders over the past few weeks.
Wainwright’s last complete start four years ago, against Miami, yielded different stats than his most recent one, but what’s notable is the success he is finding this deep into his career. On July 16, 2016, he pitched nine innings, with three hits, zero runs, two walks, and five strikeouts. Fast forward to August 30, 2020, and across nine innings pitched, he recorded four hits, two runs, two walks, and nine strikeouts.
Wainwright’s Success With The Cardinals
The MLB has been graced with Wainwright’s presence for 15 years now and each year has lead to something new and exciting. The past few seasons have been a showcase for Wainwright’s talent, however, they haven’t consisted of pitching a complete game. It has been four years since he was able to go nine innings start to finish.
It is arguable that Wainwright has been the most consistent pitcher within the Cardinals organization this year. The veteran of the team has not lost his grove, with a 3-0 record to prove it. His shortest outing of the season was against the Chicago White Sox, only pitching five innings. Across five starts he has pitched a total of 34 innings. He has given up 22 hits and 12 runs (10 earned runs). Waino has most definitely found his zone with 25 strikeouts on the season compared to eight walks.
Wainwright has continued to rely on five pitches this season: curveball, cutter, sinker, four-seamer, and changeup. He has favored the curveball heavily this season, with it making up 34% of his pitches. Eight hits out of 40 at-bats have been recorded off of Waino’s signature curveball.
Adam Wainwright signed a one-year deal for the 2020 season which leads to the question of when he will retire. Based on his performance and indication, Waino will step out on the mound in 2021.
Main Image
Embed from Getty Images
