When defending Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter was scratched from his May 24 start against the Giants, the 2006 Cardinals pitching staff was dealt a blow. In Carpenter’s place, the St. Louis pitching staff started dealing some blows of its own, including an Adam Wainwright home run on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues.
The day began on a down note after Carpenter reported discomfort in his throwing shoulder. He had experienced the same stiffness during his previous start against the Kansas City Royals, when he allowed six earned runs in six innings.
“We gave it some time and treated it, and two days ago it felt perfect,” Carpenter said. “Then I played some catch and re-aggravated it, so we’re going to make sure we give it enough time.”[1]
Cardinals trainer Barry Weinberg said he believed that rest and anti-inflammatory medication would allow Carpenter to avoid an extended absence from the rotation.[2]
With Carpenter unable to make his scheduled start, the Cardinals informed Brad Thompson approximately three hours before game time that he would make his first major league start.[3]
The Giants didn’t greet him kindly. Randy Winn led off the first with a single to left field, and Omar Vizquel followed with a triple down the right field line. A two-out, RBI double by Mark Sweeney gave the Giants a 2-0 lead.
The Cardinals got on the scoreboard in the second inning as Yadier Molina hit into a double play that scored Scott Rolen. One inning later, David Eckstein hit an RBI single to tie the game.
Wainwright entered the game in the fourth and allowed two runs as Daniel Ortmeier and Steve Finley each collected RBIs.
With the inning over, Wainwright stepped to the plate in the top of the fifth for his first major-league at-bat. It didn’t last long.
On the first pitch he saw, Wainwright homered over the left-field wall to cut the Giants’ lead to 4-3. With the blast, he became the 22nd player in Major League Baseball history to hit the first pitch he saw for a home run and the third reliever to accomplish the feat, joining Hoyt Wilhelm in 1952 and John Montefusco in 1974.[4]
“I wasn’t thinking anything until I hit third,” he said. “I was wandering around the bases making sure I was going the right way. I hit third, and I said, ‘Oh, my goodness. I just hit a home run in my first at-bat.’ It was crazy.”[5]
Wainwright retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth before the Cardinals took the lead in the sixth on an RBI single from Molina and a sacrifice fly by So Taguchi.
The Cardinals broke the game open in the seventh. Encarnacion hit an RBI single, Molina walked with the bases loaded, So Taguchi drove in a run on an infield single, and Chris Duncan added an RBI groundout to give St. Louis a 9-4 lead. Taguchi added a solo home run off Brad Hennessey in the ninth to make the final score 10-4.
Wainwright earned the second win of his career with his three-inning performance, and Randy Flores and Braden Looper combined to pitch the final three innings.
Between Wainwright’s homer, Jason Marquis’ triple, and a ninth-inning double by Looper, Cardinal pitchers accounted for three of the team’s four extra-base hits.
“They almost hit for the cycle, the pitchers,” Giants manager Felipe Alou said. “They surprised everybody.”[6]
“Today may be the only at-bat I get all year because it’s a bullpen day,” said Looper, who only received one more at-bat that season. “Obviously, it’s fun to get a base hit because how many chances am I going to get to hit in my career?”[7]
The Cardinals finished the day with 15 hits, including two apiece by Scott Spiezio, Albert Pujols, Juan Encarnacion, Hector Luna, and Taguchi. Giants pitchers also passed out seven walks, including three by reliever Scott Munter in just 1/3 of an inning.
“They were going to have their starter. We were going to have guys pitching out of their roles,” shortstop David Eckstein said. “It doesn’t look good if you’re writing it on paper. It was a real good win. They all count the same, but there are definitely some that are really nice to get, and this was really nice to get.”[8]
Wainwright enjoyed even better moments later that season, as he became the team’s closer during the playoffs, shutting the door on Game 7 of the NLCS and the clinching game of the World Series.
Give the gift of Cardinals history! The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals is available now on Amazon.
[1] Joe Strauss, “Pitching takes a hit …” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 25, 2006.
[2] Joe Strauss, “Pitching takes a hit …” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 25, 2006.
[3] Joe Strauss, “… but smacks three,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 25, 2006.
[4] Derrick Goold, “Hot Corner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 28, 2006.
[5] Joe Strauss, “… but smacks three,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 25, 2006.
[6] Janie McCauley, “Cards’ pitchers a hit,” San Francisco Examiner, May 25, 2006.
[7] Joe Strauss, “… but smacks three,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 25, 2006.
[8] Joe Strauss, “… but smacks three,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 25, 2006.