Adam Wainwright comes out of the bullpen during Game 1 in his first appearance since April 25, and his first relief appearance since 2006. (Via @MLB)
By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today
Update: Cardinals clinch third consecutive NL Central title with 100th victory
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Adam Wainwright’s first appearance on the mound in game action since April 25 was the only major bright spot in what was an otherwise forgettable afternoon for the Cardinals, who fell to the Pirates 8-2 in the first game of a day/night doubleheader in Pittsburgh.
Coming out of the bullpen for the first time since 2006, Wainwright looked relatively sharp, striking out the first batter he faced on a 94 mph sinker. The 34-year-old threw 15 pitches (12 strikes) over one inning of work, allowing one run on two hits. That run scored on a ground ball off the bat Gregory Polanco which was just out of the reach of second baseman Kolten Wong.
It was another rough September outing for Michael Wacha, who surrendered six earned runs while walking four and allowing four hits over four laborious innings of work. The biggest punch of the game occured in the fourth inning, when Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli hit a grand slam to snap a 1-1 tie.
Pittsburgh ace Gerrit Cole, who was originally scheduled to start game three of the series, delivered for the Buccos, limiting the redbirds to just two runs over seven innings while not walking a batter.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals magic number remains at two, and the team still has a chance to clinch the NL Central division title tonight with a win in the nightcap, which is scheduled for just after 6pm CT.
Lefty Tyler Lyons (2-1, 3.96 ERA) will get the nod for the redbirds in the series finale, opposite right-hander Charlie Morton (9-8, 4.54 ERA).
The starting lineups for Game 2:
Cardinals (99-59) – Carpenter 3B, Jay CF, Peralta SS, Heyward RF, Adams 1B, Grichuk LF, Wong 2B, Cruz C, Lyons SP
Pirates (96-62) – Harrison 2B, Polanco RF, McCutchen CF, Ramirez 3B, Marte LF, Morse 1B, Cervelli C, Mercer SS, Morton SP
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Cardinals pitchers warm up on the field at PNC Park prior to game 1 of the team’s Wednesday doubleheader. (Via @Cardinals)
Cards set for doubleheader in Pittsburgh needing one win to clinch division
9/30 @ 12:10pm CT: After heavy rain in the Pittsburgh area forced the postponement of Tuesday night’s game, the Cardinals will send Michael Wacha to the mound in the first game of Wednesday’s day/night doubleheader, with the redbirds needing just one victory over the Pirates to clinch their third consecutive division title.
In a change from the original rotation order, Pirates ace Gerrit Cole (18-8, 2.60 ERA) will oppose Wacha in the rescheduled game, which is slated for 12:35pm CT.
The starting lineups for game 1:
Cardinals (99-58) – Carpenter 3B, Jay CF, Holliday LF, Heyward RF, Peralta SS, Reynolds 1B, Wong 2B, Cruz C, Wacha SP
Pirates (95-62) – Polanco RF, Marte LF, McCutchen CF, Ramirez 3B, Walker 2B, Alvarez 1B, Cervelli C, Mercer SS, Cole SP
Wednesday morning, the Cardinals activated Adam Wainwright from the 60-day disabled list, completing his improbable comeback from late April surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon. Wainwright will be available out of the bullpen on Wednesday. Read the full story here.
Lefty Tyler Lyons (2-1, 3.96 ERA) will get the nod for the redbirds in the regularly scheduled nightcap at 6:05pm CT, opposite right-hander Charlie Morton (9-8, 4.54 ERA).
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