St. Louis Cardinals: Adam Wainwright rewards Matt Carpenter

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter is now going to be the owner of a brand new golf cart thanks to pitcher Adam Wainwright.

Here’s what happened according to MLB.com beat writer Jenifer Langosch: “Hit 20, Wainwright told Carpenter, and he would buy him a golf cart.”

Carpenter reportedly got carried away when he started saying he could hit 20 home runs this season. It’s been an interesting season for the All-Star in a year that saw his strikeouts increase, slumps, fatigue, and yet somehow he’s still leading the Cardinals in producing runs.

As a result of Carpenter’s first-inning home run, the Cardinals pitcher now has to figure out where he is going to be able to buy a purple golf cart.

“That’s some fun significance,” the third baseman said after the game, jokingly.

Entering Monday, Carpenter leads the Cardinals in home runs, runs batted in, extra base hits, and runs scored. The third baseman started 50 games for the Cardinals hitting from the leadoff spot and 69 games hitting second.

“There are going to be some times where you have to compromise — maybe a few more swing and misses, but not many,” manager Mike Matheny said according to MLB.com. “I’d much rather have the guy who can continue to produce big like he has. It’s been amazing to watch a guy kind of transform.”

Carpenter has accomplished in what he calls a “strange season” with the amount of players injured that be counted on to drive in runs like Matt Holliday and Matt Adams. Carpenter stressed that he does not “want to sound like I’m doing it on purpose or have control of these things because I definitely don’t.” With the injuries being taken into account, Carpenter said that it is nice to be able to do what he has done this season for St. Louis.