Wainwright Deals Cardinals into NLCS
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Eliot J. Schechter/MLB Photos via Getty Images(ST. LOUIS) — The St. Louis Cardinals are flying high into the NLCS thanks to another dominant performance from their ace.
Adam Wainwright pitched a complete game Wednesday night, leading the Cardinals to a 6-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The win vaulted the Cardinals into the NL Championship Series for the third straight year.
“I wanted it bad. It’s probably the most nervous I’ve ever been,” Wainwright said. “I don’t get a whole lot of nerves when I pitch. Before I pitched today, I was pretty nervous.”
David Freese and Matt Adams each hit two-run homers for the Cardinals, who won the final two games of their best-of-five Division Series to eliminate the Pirates.
The Pirates won 94 games this season and made the postseason for the first time since 1992, but they were held to just two runs in their final two games against the Cardinals. Their skipper couldn’t help but talk about how proud he is of his team after the game.
“We were able to take a huge step forward this year in restoring the pride and the passion of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization,” manager Clint Hurdle said, “and rebonding our city with a ball team.”
The Cardinals will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS beginning on Friday.
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