Wainwright in a familiar position
St. Louis
When October baseball returns to St. Louis on Sunday, Adam Wainwright will get the ball for the Cardinals again. Just like he has for so many big games over the past 14 years.
It was almost a much different picture. If not for one December trade back in 2003, Wainwright might be pitching for Atlanta in Game 3 of the NL Division Series.
The 38-year-old Georgia native, who was selected by Atlanta in the first round of the 2000 amateur draft, will make his 13th postseason start when the Cardinals take on Mike Soroka and the Braves in the first postseason game in St. Louis in four years.
"Feeling that playoff buzz in the crowd when the games are actually going on, you can never replace it or replicate it any other place in life that I've seen," he said. "It's just a feeling that is beyond compare. So I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited to be back in the playoffs."
The NL East and Central champions split the first two games of the best-of-five series in Atlanta. Paul Goldschmidt homered to help St. Louis rally for a 7-6 victory in the opener, and Mike Foltynewicz pitched seven sparkling innings in Atlanta's 3-0 win in Game 2.
Two days after Foltynewicz's dominant performance, Soroka takes the mound for the Braves. St. Louis, a regular October playground before its longest drought in two decades, might not seem like the best spot for a playoff debut, but Soroka is no ordinary pitcher.
The 22-year-old right-hander went 7-1 with a 1.55 ERA in 16 road starts this year, compared with 6-3 and a 4.14 ERA at home. He allowed one earned run in 13 innings in two May starts against the Cardinals, including six effective innings in a no-decision at Busch Stadium.
"He's really good at staying pitch to pitch," Braves manager Brian Snitker said Saturday. "It's like he's...