ST. LOUIS — Adam Wainwright became the 38th pitcher in National League history to reach 200 career wins after recording a season-high seven shutout innings en route to the St. Louis Cardinals’ 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night. He is just the fifth active major-league pitcher to do so, joining Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw.
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Wainwright scattered four hits and two walks while striking out three over 92 pitches in his most effective outing of the season. His battery mate, Willson Contreras, accounted for the game’s lone run with a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. Closer Ryan Helsley recorded a four-out save to clinch the win.
“Having to work as hard as I had to work for it made me savor it that much more. There was a time where I really wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to keep going, or if they were going to let me keep going,” Wainwright said. “That’s one of the most fun games I’ve ever pitched in my whole life. It certainly will go down as a top-three moment for me ever, baseball-wise.”
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Adam Wainwright wins elusive No. 200: 'One of the most fun games I've ever pitched'
Wainwright, who announced the 2023 season would be the final one of his decorated 18-year career, has struggled in his last professional season. However, the 42-year-old seemed to turn a corner in his last start, where he snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Prior to that outing, his most recent win came on June 17 against the Mets. Yet, Wainwright needed just one crack at win No. 200 before officially accomplishing the feat, becoming the 24th pitcher since 2000 to reach the 200 career wins threshold
Contreras said Wainwright “showed us that if you want it, anything is possible, you’ll get it.”
Added Wainwright: “Being able to do it here, in front of our home crowd, was incredibly special. … The crowd was unbelievable tonight. I felt them cheering on every pitch I made, every big strikeout — we had a couple of double plays and the crowd was just going crazy. They were on their feet all night and I felt that.”
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(Photo: Mitch Stringer / USA Today)
