Cardinals Game 1 starter Adam Wainwright battled through multiple defensive miscues against the Red Sox Wednesday, giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out four in five innings as his team dropped Game 1, 8-1.
Wainwright was the victim of bad luck in the first inning, when a potential double play ball was muffed on the throw to second base. One batter later, a Mike Napoli double cleared the bases and put the Red Sox up 3-0.
The Cardinals starter also added a miscommunication error in the second inning, watching a infield pop fly by Stephen Drew drop between him and Yadier Molina after the pitcher appeared to call off the other infielders. The play was ruled a single, but a later error meant just three of the five runs Wainwright allowed through the first two innings, in which he threw 60 total pitches, were earned.
Wainwright bounced back after the second inning, posting 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth that included three straight strikeouts, then posting a scoreless fifth inning before ending his night with 95 pitches. However, the two errors by the shortstop and the infield pop-up single in the second proved too much to overcome. Wainwright will likely be called upon to pitch a potential Game 5 at home Monday, though the Cardinals could opt to use him on short rest in Game 4 Sunday instead.