There a few pitchers around the league who have rightfully earned "ace" status. After the St. Louis Cardinals' loss Saturday night, they're fortunate to have theirs heading to the mound when it matters most.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Adam Wainwright will get the ball Sunday opposite Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Josh Collmenter with a chance to clinch the team's second straight National League Central title.
A victory would net Wainwright a career-high 21 wins, but Matheny's aware that individual success comes second to team goals at this point in the season.
"Twenty-one is a big deal," Matheny said, via MLB.com. "He's never been there before. We get that. We never want to slight any of these personal accomplishments that our guys can make. We realize that's a big deal as well. But (we) just try to make sure we're prioritizing."
While Wainwright gives the Cardinals a clear pitching advantage in Sunday's 4:10 p.m. EST showdown, the Pittsburgh Pirates aren't so lucky.
The Pirates will need to navigate through Cy Young-candidate Johnny Cueto and the Cincinnati Reds (1:10 p.m. EST) for the opportunity to force a sudden-death tiebreak Monday for the division.
Pittsburgh's 10-6 walk-off loss to Cincinnati on Saturday ensured the Cardinals will finish no less than in a tie for first place in the Central after 162 games. Gerrit Cole is expected to get the nod Sunday for the Pirates, but manager Clint Hurdle has yet to confirm his plans.
The scenarios are as follows:
- A Cardinals win clinches the NL Central and sets up a wild-card play-in between the Pirates and San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
- The same scenario above holds true if both Pittsburgh and St. Louis lose Sunday.
- If the Pirates win and the Cardinals lose, the two clubs face off in Game No. 163 for the division Monday in St. Louis (as a result of head-to-head record).
- The loser of Game No. 163 would host the Giants in the wild-card play-in and the winner travels to Los Angeles, where the Dodgers will host the Division Series.
