Adam Wainwright ready to start NLCS Game 1
ST. LOUIS — Waino is just bueno, thank you. And he would have been good to go for the starting nod in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, too, had the St. Louis Cardinals needed to play.
“No question,” Wainwright said. “I was definitely suiting up. Luckily we don’t have to worry about that one.”
Because they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in Game 4 to clinch the series Tuesday night, the Cardinals get extra days of rest before the NL Championship Series starts Saturday at Busch Stadium.
The Cards went ahead and named Wainwright their starting pitcher for Game 1 against the San Francisco Giants after an earlier report by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch indicated manager Mike Matheny wasn’t certain that Wainwright’s elbow was up to the task. For that reason, right-hander Lance Lynn had been preparing for Game 5 as if he would start.
Wainwright has been dealing with an irritation in his elbow since June that has caused periodic discomfort. He had an MRI in July that showed no damage to his UCL. Regardless, it was a scary time; Wainwright had Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery in 2011.
Wainwright finished second in NL Cy Young voting in 2013, and followed up with another successful season, posting a 2.38 ERA with 179 strikeouts in 227 innings. His results regressed in August — presumably in part because of elbow discomfort — but he finished strong, posting a 1.38 ERA in five starts in September.
In Game 1 of the NLDS, the Dodgers rocked him for six runs and 11 hits over 4 1/3 innings, which probably set off alarm bells. Whatever is happening with his elbow now — or isn’t happening — it’s not a precursor to T.J., he said. Wainwright added that he’s not sure why the Cards have acted like they’re not sure he’s going to hold up.
“I don’t know where this came from,” Wainwright said as the Cards partied after beating the Dodgers. “This is the same thing I’ve been dealing with all season. It’s nothing new.”
Once the season ends, Wainwright said he’ll probably get his elbow checked again, but based on how he feels, he doesn’t anticipate needing surgery — or even treatment, necessarily.
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David Brown is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter!
