This Day in Cardinals History: Adam Wainwright Dominates in NLDS Clincher

Adam Wainwright turned in a dominant start in Game 5 of the 2013 NLDS.

Oct 28, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning during game five of the MLB baseball World Series at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In 2013, the Cardinals won their 19th National League pennant. But before they could do that, they had to get through the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLDS, a team that had snapped a streak of 20 consecutive losing seasons and given the Cardinals a run for their money in the NL Central race.

But after a win in Game 4, the Cardinals returned home for Game 5 and had their ace, Adam Wainwright on the mound. Wainwright had earned the win in Game 1 of the series and now had a chance to send the Cardinals to the NLCS.

On this day in 2013, Wainwright did just that, pitching a complete game as the Cardinals knocked out the Pirates with a 6-1 win.

#OTD 2013 - The Cardinals eliminate the resilient Pirates with a 6 - 1 win in Game 5 of the NLDS.

Adam Wainwright pitches a complete game, while Matt Adams and David Freese homer for the Cardinals.#STLCards | @UncleCharlie50 | @BigCityForReal pic.twitter.com/75FeDF6IFg
— Augie Nash (@AugieNash) October 9, 2026

Adam Wainwright sends Cards to NLCS

The Cardinals won 97 games in 2013, which was tied with the Boston Red Sox for the best record in Major League Baseball. But when the Cardinals needed a win at home to advance to the NLCS, Wainwright came through, adding to his postseason resume.

The right-hander allowed one run on eight hits and recorded six strikeouts as he pitched St. Louis to the next round.

Wainwright had a strong postseason resume, having been a closer during the Cardinals' run to the 2006 World Series. But on a rare occasion, he got to be a starter and a closer in the same game. The Pirates were once a team that had given him fits, but he locked in for the clincher, added to his playoff resume and gave Cardinals fans a memorable night.

Better yet, he outdueled Gerrit Cole to win the game and send St. Louis to its third straight NLCS. It was also a full circle moment for Wainwright. He had missed the 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery and wasn't quite himself in 2012, but 2013 saw him return to his old form, and he finally got a chance to be part of another World Series run.

Offensively, the Cardinals backed Wainwright up, with David Freese and Matt Adams both hitting home runs to put the game out of reach and leave room for Wainwright to simply dominate.

It turned out to be the last win Wainwright would ever pick up in postseason play in his career, but he still played a key role in getting St. Louis to the World Series that fall, and this start may have been the highlight of his season.

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