Adam Wainright Shines in Braves Sweep

Look, there’s no way to sugar coat the Cardinals’ dreary season-ending series against Atlanta, a three-game sweep puncuated by a lackluster effort by both sides in the soggy Sunday doubleheader.

In the first game of Sunday’s double dip, former Cardinal Shelby Miller finally got a win. He’d

Brandon Moss (21) runs to second on a double against the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning at Turner Field, one of the Cards’ few offensive highlights on the day. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

gone 24 straight starts without one, so it’s hard not to feel good for the guy.

For the Cardinals, game one was essentially a chance for manager Mike Matheny to play his bench and get a better read on who belongs on the postseason roster. No one really stepped up, although there were two important takeaways from that first game:

Adam Wainright was sharp in relief. He pitched a clean eighth, surrendering a walk and striking out one. It was his second scoreless outing of the season. Translation: he’s ready to be a shutdown option in the postseason pen.
Stephen Piscotty made his first start since the collision last week. He went 0-for-4 at the plate but showed no ill effect in the outfield, where he shifted from right field to left and back to right again. After the game, Matheny said he saw no red flags, either.

Game two was an absolute yawner. The Braves scored one in the first and another in the seventh, and that was it for offense on either side. Reliever Steve Cishek finished his regular season the way he started it. Disastrously. He gave up three hits, one an RBI single to outfielder Michael Bourn for that final run in the seventh.