Wainwright tosses 5 scoreless innings in rehab start, Cardinals win 4th straight
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- All six feet and seven inches of Adam Wainwright walked onto the Hammons Field warning track and into the bullpen about 30 minutes before first pitch.The sun was working its way to high noon, but Wainwright's presence still managed to cast an imposing shadow over 6,183 Cardinals
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- All six feet and seven inches of
The sun was working its way to high noon, but Wainwright's presence still managed to cast an imposing shadow over 6,183 Cardinals fans anxiously awaiting a pitcher they hadn't seen in Springfield since 2008.
Two World Series rings and 147-career wins with the St. Louis Cardinals will do that to people.
Wainwright (1-0) put on an efficient show in his rehab start, allowing a pair of singles in the fourth and adding two strikeouts over five scoreless frames, pushing the Cardinals to a 6-2 win over the Drillers and a 2.5-game lead in the Texas League North.
After Monday's performance, Wainwright has thrown 9.2 scoreless innings with six hits and nine strikeouts in his two Hammons Field rehab starts. Wainwright tossed 4.2 scoreless innings in a 2008 rehab start against Corpus Christi. He held Tulsa hitless through the game's first three innings Monday.
GETTING OFFENSIVE V2
Springfield's six runs and seven hits Monday gives the team 33 runs on 45 hits over its current four-game winning streak.
The Cardinals padded that lead in the second when
After three more scoreless frames from Wainwright,
A ground-rule double by
Tulsa's first run came courtesy of D.J. Peters, who came around and scored on
The Drillers added a run in the ninth when
LOVE SPRINGFIELD
Wainwright expressed love for Springfield and southwest Missouri in his post-game press conference.
"This is one of the best minor league parks I've ever seen," Wainwright said. "Fans are always great here and it's just a very warm place. And the drive here is beautiful."
But it's not just Wainwright in love with the 417 with the Cardinals off to a 14-2 start at Hammons Field. That includes three straight wins over a Tulsa team that had a half-game lead on Springfield when this series began. Now, the Cardinals are a win away from a sweep over their North Division rivals.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals host the Drillers for the final game of this four-game set Tuesday night at 6:30 pm.
Tuesday is a Great Southern Bank $1 Dog Day, where fans can enjoy hot dogs all game for just a buck.