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Game time: 12:10 CDT
TV: FSMW
vs Chico
Kennedy 0-1
Ludwick 1-2, hr, rbi
Miles 0-4
Molina 0-2
Pujols 3-5
Wainwright 1-2, hr, rbi
vs Wainwright
Belliard 3-7, hr, 2rbi, k
Boone 1-1, 2b
Chico 1-4, rbi, k
Harris 0-8, 3k
Johnson 0-0, bb
Kearns 0-6
Langerhans 0-5, 3k
Lo Duca 0-1
Lopez 3-7, bb, k
Zimmerman 3-8, 2b, 2k
GO CARDS!
TV: FSMW
Adam Wainwright became a key contributor out of the bullpen in helping the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title in 2006. He then moved to the rotation last season and became one of their top starters.
Wainwright will try to continue his development as he gets another chance at his first start of 2008 on Saturday in the middle game of the Cardinals’ series with the Washington Nationals.
Wainwright (14-12, 3.70 ERA last season) went 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA and three saves in 61 relief appearances as a rookie for St. Louis (3-1) in 2006. He then went on to dominate nine playoff games, throwing 9 2-3 shutout innings with four saves as the Cardinals won their first World Series championship since 1982.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa then moved the right-hander into the rotation in 2007, and he was shaky through the first half—going 7-7 with a 4.66 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .291 in 17 starts. However, he settled down and was impressive in the second half of the season with a 7-5 record and a 2.71 ERA, limiting batters to a .245 average.
He finished the season with the most wins in franchise history for a first-year starter, and the team felt that was good enough to sign him to a four-year extension through 2013 in March.
“We are extremely pleased to have a player of Adam’s ilk under contract for up to the next six seasons,” Cards general manager John Mozeliak told the team’s official Web site. “He represents a key part of the core of our ballclub. Adam is one of the best young pitchers in baseball and, just as importantly, he is the type of person that embodies what it means to be a Cardinal.”
Wainwright, though, was started St. Louis’ scheduled season opener on Monday against Colorado, but the game was rained out in the third inning. The Cardinals lost 2-1 to the Rockies the following night before winning three in a row, including Friday’s 5-4 victory over the Nationals (3-2) in the three-game series opener.
St. Louis is two games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2006 season.
Wainwright is 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA in four games—two starts—against Washington. His lone defeat to the Nats came in his only start against them at Busch Stadium on May 27, when he allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings of a 7-2 defeat.
The Nationals have dropped back-to-back contests after opening 2008 with a three-game winning streak.
They hope Matt Chico (0-0, 5.06 ERA) can help them avoid a third consecutive loss and rebound from a shaky season debut.
The left-hander gave up three runs and six hits, including a home run, with four strikeouts in 5 1-3 innings of an 11-6 win at Philadelphia on Monday.
Chico has started against St. Louis twice, failing to get a decision while posting a 3.00 ERA.
The Nationals will again be without Dmitri Young after he missed Friday’s contest with a lower back injury. The first baseman has been bothered by the injury since spring training and traveled to Washington on Friday for treatment and a further examination. He isn’t expected to go on the disabled list yet and is expected to rejoin the team Monday.
Young is 1-for-2 in a pair of pinch-hit appearances this season after Nick Johnson won the starting job. The NL comeback player of the year in 2007, Young batted .320 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs last year.
Johnson, meanwhile, has struggled of late, hitting 1-for-8 in the last three games after going 3-for-7 with three doubles and two RBIs in the first two.
Wainwright will try to continue his development as he gets another chance at his first start of 2008 on Saturday in the middle game of the Cardinals’ series with the Washington Nationals.
Wainwright (14-12, 3.70 ERA last season) went 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA and three saves in 61 relief appearances as a rookie for St. Louis (3-1) in 2006. He then went on to dominate nine playoff games, throwing 9 2-3 shutout innings with four saves as the Cardinals won their first World Series championship since 1982.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa then moved the right-hander into the rotation in 2007, and he was shaky through the first half—going 7-7 with a 4.66 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .291 in 17 starts. However, he settled down and was impressive in the second half of the season with a 7-5 record and a 2.71 ERA, limiting batters to a .245 average.
He finished the season with the most wins in franchise history for a first-year starter, and the team felt that was good enough to sign him to a four-year extension through 2013 in March.
“We are extremely pleased to have a player of Adam’s ilk under contract for up to the next six seasons,” Cards general manager John Mozeliak told the team’s official Web site. “He represents a key part of the core of our ballclub. Adam is one of the best young pitchers in baseball and, just as importantly, he is the type of person that embodies what it means to be a Cardinal.”
Wainwright, though, was started St. Louis’ scheduled season opener on Monday against Colorado, but the game was rained out in the third inning. The Cardinals lost 2-1 to the Rockies the following night before winning three in a row, including Friday’s 5-4 victory over the Nationals (3-2) in the three-game series opener.
St. Louis is two games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2006 season.
Wainwright is 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA in four games—two starts—against Washington. His lone defeat to the Nats came in his only start against them at Busch Stadium on May 27, when he allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings of a 7-2 defeat.
The Nationals have dropped back-to-back contests after opening 2008 with a three-game winning streak.
They hope Matt Chico (0-0, 5.06 ERA) can help them avoid a third consecutive loss and rebound from a shaky season debut.
The left-hander gave up three runs and six hits, including a home run, with four strikeouts in 5 1-3 innings of an 11-6 win at Philadelphia on Monday.
Chico has started against St. Louis twice, failing to get a decision while posting a 3.00 ERA.
The Nationals will again be without Dmitri Young after he missed Friday’s contest with a lower back injury. The first baseman has been bothered by the injury since spring training and traveled to Washington on Friday for treatment and a further examination. He isn’t expected to go on the disabled list yet and is expected to rejoin the team Monday.
Young is 1-for-2 in a pair of pinch-hit appearances this season after Nick Johnson won the starting job. The NL comeback player of the year in 2007, Young batted .320 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs last year.
Johnson, meanwhile, has struggled of late, hitting 1-for-8 in the last three games after going 3-for-7 with three doubles and two RBIs in the first two.
Kennedy 0-1
Ludwick 1-2, hr, rbi
Miles 0-4
Molina 0-2
Pujols 3-5
Wainwright 1-2, hr, rbi
vs Wainwright
Belliard 3-7, hr, 2rbi, k
Boone 1-1, 2b
Chico 1-4, rbi, k
Harris 0-8, 3k
Johnson 0-0, bb
Kearns 0-6
Langerhans 0-5, 3k
Lo Duca 0-1
Lopez 3-7, bb, k
Zimmerman 3-8, 2b, 2k
GO CARDS!
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