Cardinals: Top three Adam Wainwright postseason moments

In just a few weeks, the Cardinals will be saying goodbye to a familiar face, as Adam Wainwright plays out the remainder of his legendary career.

Wainwright was acquired from the Braves in December of 2003 along with Ray King and Jason Marquis. That trade also sent outfielders Eli Marrero and J.D. Drew back to Atlanta.

It's safe to say that the Cardinals got the better end of that deal. Wainwright broke into the big leagues late in 2005 and helped guide the Cardinals to a World Series championship the following year after stepping into the closer's role for the postseason.

A year later, he became a starter. For the vast majority of his career, Wainwright has been the Cardinals' most reliable starter. He has 198 career wins to his name, two World Series rings, and a pair of 20-win seasons. He also has finished in the top three in Cy Young voting three times.

There were times when injuries derailed him. He missed all of 2011 due to Tommy John surgery, and his elbow issues resurfaced in 2017, landing him on the injured list twice.

In 2018, it appeared as if we had officially seen the last of the veteran right-hander when he left his start in San Diego on Mother's Day in just the third inning. But he returned late in the season and ultimately rediscovered his old form as he helped pitch the Cardinals to the postseason in each of the next four seasons.

The postseason is where Wainwright has shined the most in his career. The 42-year-old has a 4-5 record in postseason play with an ERA of 2.83 in 29 appearances, 16 of which were starts. He also has held hitters to just a .242 average over 114.1 innings pitched in the postseason.

In this piece, we will look at the top three postseason moments of Adam Wainwright's career.