When the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals face off in the National League Wild Card Game, it will be a battle between veteran starters Max Scherzer and Adam Wainwright, who are a combined 77 years old, yet still near the top of their abilities.
The 40-year-old Wainwright pitched well against L.A. on Sept. 8, when he threw 8.1 innings while only allowing two runs for the first eight innings before giving up two more in the ninth in a 5-4 Cardinals’ victory.
To make sure that result doesn’t happen again, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is emphasizing an approach of shortening up to put the ball in play against him.
“He’s a guy that has very good command, he’s a three- or four-pitch mix, it’s a lot of curveballs, cutters, two-seamer, doesn’t give in,” Roberts said. “You’ve got to stay short. He feeds off of guys trying to get too big with their swings and he’s a pro.
“Him and Yadi, a countless number of starts they’ve had together as the battery, and he’s a competitor. One of the great competitors in the game.”
While Wainwright has had a rebound season, pitching to a 3.05 ERA and 3.66 FIP in 206.1 innings, he has been nearly a run better at home (2.74 ERA) than he has been on the road (3.58 ERA).
The Dodgers’ offense has clicked at the right time as they have scored eight or more runs in five straight games.
L.A. also confident because they have the 37-year-old Scherzer on the mound, who is one of the Cy Young Award frontrunners this season and a lock to enter the Hall of Fame after he retires.
Scherzer allowed 10 runs between his final two starts of the regular season, but Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and Roberts don’t have any doubt with the right-hander.
“I talk about betting on guys. We feel very good with Max taking the mound,” Roberts said. “No one knows Max better than Trea (Turner), so if he’s already angry, I guess that’s a good thing.”
Buehler excited for Scherzer-Wainwright battle
As the Dodgers look to advance to the NL Division Series, which Walker Buehler would start Game 1 against the San Francisco Giants, he is anticipating the pitching matchup in the Wild Card.
“We’re going to have Scherzer versus Wainwright, two good teams, and a team that’s been playing well and feels good about themselves just like we do,” Buehler said. “I think obviously we like our side of it. We have a three-time Cy Young winner going, but Wainwright has kind of had this resurgence and he’s won championships.
“It’s going to be a fun game and entertaining game. We feel good about our clubhouse and who we’re running out there.”
Scherzer has made two starts against St. Louis this season, throwing a combined 14 innings with only one unearned run allowed and striking out 14.
Scherzer last faced them on Sept. 6 and went eight innings with 13 strikeouts while only giving up the one unearned run in a 5-1 Dodgers’ victory.
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