St. Louis Cardinals cutting it close with Adam Wainwright
When you look at the St. Louis Cardinals record, you do not think “they need a savior.” It is probably far more likely that you thought “they need nothing.” But beneath the best record in baseball is a team that has been struggling in the month of September.
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September is kind of a big month. It is the close of the season. It is a time to build momentum for the playoff push that will take you into the post season. It is most certainly not a time to start hitting the slumps.
But the St. Louis Cardinals are hitting several slumps. They started the month abysmally, going 3-9 to start the month. They have gone 9-3 since, fully equalizing their start, but those 9 wins came against the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers, two teams that sold their mass at the deadline. Two teams that have little to play for.
More problems came when Carlos Martinez sustained a shoulder strain and will not pitch again this year. Suddenly the St. Louis Cardinals only have 4 starters.
As if a prequel to a new Star Wars film, where everything was fading to gray, in steps the Jedi Master himself. Adam Wainwright threw a 25-pitch simulated game on September 23rd and it appears as though he was right about his achilles tendon all along. It would not keep him out all year.
With the Pittsburgh Pirates bearing down, they may want to get that tendon evaluated sooner rather than later. That is not exactly something they can rush though. Still, they are the best team in baseball, at least based on the records. They’ve already clinched a playoff spot. However, holding onto the division lead is crucial. The St. Louis Cardinals do not want to see their year-long expedition undone in a one game, sudden death match up with the Chicago Cubs. That would not be good.
If the St. Louis Cardinals can hold onto the division lead and get into a regular playoff series, Adam Wainwright will have time to recover and get back into the rotation. From there, who has momentum? You hate to say that anything is certain, but Wainwright returning to the St. Louis Cardinals is certainly going to bring a tidal wave of momentum.
It is all in the timing. Obviously an unfit, sub-par Wainwright is not going to be too big of a boost but if he can return right where he left off, he may find himself as the Redbird’s messiah yet again. The Pittsburgh Pirates can take the division lead from the St. Louis Cardinals with the upcoming series, but the spirit of the Birds may be enough to hold them off.
Adam Wainwright still figures to be over a week away from pitching. He will not feature in the regular season. But the St. Louis Cardinals are going to need a push once they get into the post season and there is no one better for the job than Adam Wainwright.
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