Cardinals History: Adam Wainwright wins his 200th

Two years ago today, Adam Wainwright twirled seven strong innings of four-hit ball to secure a win against the Milwaukee Brewers.  He also twirled himself into baseball history, winning for the 200th time in the process. It was also the last time we saw him on the mound at Busch Stadium  (well, at least in a Cardinals uniform).

It sounds crazy, but that was probably the last truly happy Cardinals memory for the Best Fans in Baseball. It certainly was the last truly historic memory.

It’s easy to forget now, but heading into that 2023 season, 200 wins seemed like a foregone conclusion. Wainwright finished 2022 with an 11-12 record, giving him 195 wins for his career.  That season, he pitched almost 200 innings (191.2), had an ERA of 3.71, and a WHIP of 1.283.

Cy Young numbers? Of course not. But they certainly were respectable. And he even tossed a complete game that season! He was also only two years removed from a resurgent 2021 season, where he went 17-7 with a 3.05 ERA over 206.1 innings.

So as the 2023 season started, the question wasn’t whether Wainwright would make it to 200 wins. It was how far past that milestone he would go.

And remember, the Cardinals were expected to contend in 2023, even after losing Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Some (or maybe just me?) wondered whether a strong 2023 finish, combined with a playoff push from the team, might even put Wainwright firmly in the Hall of Fame discussion.

Things didn’t start off great. A groin strain in March meant Wainwright would miss all of April. His biggest highlight that month? A surprise singing of the national anthem at the home opener. (Which, to be fair, was quite the highlight. I was there and it was a pretty magical moment.)

Wainwright finally made his first appearance in early May and, after wins in two of his first three starts, bringing his career total to 197, the wheels fell off.  Over the next five months, Wainwright won just once more.

He stayed stuck at 198 from June to September. In that stretch, he had gone 0-10 with a 10.72 ERA.  But, more than the numbers, he just looked finished. Wainwright, for so long the rock of the rotation, struggled every time he took the mound. For any fan of the Redbirds, it was hard to watch.

Catching Jesse Haines? The question was whether Wainwright could even make it to 200.  The season was already over for the Cardinals, who had sold at the deadline for the first time in forever. The only thing fans could look forward to was Wainwright’s chase, and even that becoming a painful spectacle.

Hope arrived on September 12. Waino went five innings against the Baltimore Orioles, giving up two runs on 94 pitches. He was at 199 with the season winding down.

And then, six days later, Wainwright turned back the clock. In a stunning performance, he pitched seven strong innings against the Cincinnati Reds, striking out three and walking two. As he left the game, though, the Cardinals were clinging to a one-run lead, thanks to a Willson Contreras homer in the fourth inning.

John King got through two outs in the eighth before giving way to closer Ryan Helsley, who finished the inning unscathed. After the Cardinals failed to add to their lead in the bottom of the inning, only three outs stood between Wainwright and history.

200 wins isn’t baseball’s most important milestone, nor is it anywhere near its most exclusive. But for Cardinals fans, this game just meant more. Wainwright had been Our Guy since we watched him close out the 2006 World Series, and he’d been an incredible ambassador for the team. As Ryan Helsley took the mound, Cardinals Nation held its breath.

I’ll never forget that ninth inning. My oldest son was still a few months from his second birthday, but for the first time (and undoubtedly not the last), I kept him up past his bedtime so we could watch the ninth together. I wanted to be able to tell him when he was older that he got to see Wainwright’s 200th.

When the third out was finally secured, the chase was finally, mercifully, over. Wainwright had done it. A few days later, he’d announce that his season — and career — was done. The arm just couldn’t take even one more throw.

That season as a whole was a disaster for the team. It’s been somewhat of a train wreck since then, and it looks like a full rebuild is on the horizon. Call us spoiled, but times have been tough for Cardinals fans since the end of 2022.

But for one glorious night in September? We all had the chance to turn back the clock and watch history.