Adam Wainwright to start Game 1 for St. Louis Cardinals against Washington Nationals – NLDS Update
St. Louis Cardinals have slated Adam Wainwright as the starter for Sunday’s Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals at Busch Stadium.
Adam Wainwright comes to Game 1 of NLDS after pitching around 200 innings in the regular season. What is incredible about the starter is the fact that he had undergone Tommy John surgery last year which proved to be season-ending.
Cardinals, at the same time, come in this series with multiple challenges they faced during the year. While the first half of the season was thoroughly challenging, in the second half the Cardinals won majority of the games to make strides for the Wild Card berth and then succeeding at that remarkably.
Having passed that hurdle, Sunday’s Game 1 will see a starter on the mound whose rehab, regular season and everything has been a treat to watch for many, including the general manager John Mozeliak.
He said, "When you think about [Wainwright's] rehab, it was absolutely flawless. He never had a setback. We always felt like he was building and getting stronger as the year proceeded. We really never felt like we had to slow him down or give him a timeout because of that. Again, I think what [the Nationals] did was the right decision for their player."
As for Wainwright himself, he precisely knows the trials and tribulations attached to Tommy John surgery. He knows it takes a while before it all settles.
Wainwright said, "I totally get now why Tommy John recovery is so hard. Your arm just takes a while to get back, it really does, and it's hard for me to say that, because I thought I was going to be the exception to the rule.”
With Game 1 on the horizon, Adam Wainwright, having had 3.94 ERA this season will have a challenge ahead that he is expected to surpass with ability and effectiveness to bring victory to the Cardinals. The fact they are also the defending World Series champions, counts for something.
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