RetroSimba

(Updated: Oct. 9, 2022)

Adam Wainwright has climbed to No. 2 in career strikeouts among Cardinals pitchers.

Wainwright has 2,147 strikeouts, putting him ahead of Dizzy Dean for No. 2 on the Cardinals’ career list.

Here are the Cardinals’ career leaders in strikeouts:

_ Bob Gibson, 3,117

_ Adam Wainwright, 2,147

_ Dizzy Dean, 1,095

_ Chris Carpenter, 1,085

_ Bob Forsch, 1,079

_ Matt Morris, 986

_ Jesse Haines, 979

_ Steve Carlton, 951

_ Bill Doak, 938

_ Carlos Martinez, 927

Wainwright recorded his first big-league strikeout against Phillies pinch-hitter David Dellucci on April 3, 2006. Boxscore

He five times has struck out a career-best 12 in a game. Here is a look at those performances:

_ Cardinals 2, Giants 1, at St. Louis, July 1, 2009: Wainwright got more dominant as the game progressed. Five of the last six outs he recorded were on strikeouts.

He struck out the side in the ninth, retiring Travis Ishikawa, Juan Uribe and Fred Lewis, before being lifted for pinch-hitter Rick Ankiel with the score 1-1. The Cardinals won in the 10th on a Colby Rasmus walkoff home run. Boxscore

Wainwright became the first Cardinals pitcher since 2006 to strike out 12 in a game.

“What Adam did was heroic,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He shut them down.”

_ Padres 1, Cardinals 0, at San Diego, May 25, 2010: Wainwright twice struck out the side. The first time was in the second inning when he retired Chris Headley, Yorvit Torrealba and Chris Denorfia. But Jerry Hairston also homered in that inning for the lone run.

In the fifth, Wainwright struck out Hairston, Denorfia and pitcher Jon Garland.

He also struck out slugger Adrian Gonzalez three times. Boxscore

Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch wrote that Wainwright displayed an “overwhelming curveball and precise command of his fastball.”

_ Cardinals 7, Astros 0, at St. Louis, Aug. 21, 2012: Among Wainwright’s victims was former Cardinals shortstop Tyler Greene, who struck out twice. In the ninth, with two on and two outs, Wainwright struck out Ben Francisco to end the game and preserve his fourth career shutout.

Wainwright struck out a batter in every inning except the sixth. He improved his career record against Houston to 12-1 in 20 appearances. Boxscore

“His curveball was unhittable,” Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay told the Post-Dispatch.

Said Cardinals manager Mike Matheny: “He’s got a pretty unique repertoire of pitches that allows him to stay pretty efficient but still get strikeouts.”

_ Cardinals 8, Brewers 0, at St. Louis, April 13, 2013: Wainwright pitched a four-hitter for his fifth career shutout. He also had three hits in three at-bats, driving in two runs. Boxscore

_ Cardinals 4, Reds 0, May 25, 2014: Wainwright struck out five of the first six batters on 24 total pitches. He limited the Reds to five hits in eight innings pitched.

“I’ve never felt like this,” Wainwright said to the Associated Press. “That’s part of the evolution of me. I expected to get better as I got older, and a little wiser. Now that I’m over 30 years old, I don’t think there’s any reason for me to start to decline. I think I should still try to get better and expect to get better.” Boxscore

Previously: Rick Horton: Bob Forsch was heart, soul of Cardinals’ staff