ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright labeled his start on Wednesday a "must win," knowing that the Cardinals couldn’t afford to drop all four games to the Dodgers if they had any hope of remaining above water in the National League Wild Card chase. He wanted to give his teammates a chance to deliver a series split on Thursday.
And deliver they did.
Backed by crisp pitching in the form of a win for Alex Reyes, nimble line-walking by manager Mike Shildt and timely hitting -- once again by Tyler O'Neill -- the Cardinals came through with a 2-1 win over the Dodgers at Busch Stadium -- their final time playing host to Albert Pujols this year.
On a day when most of the teams the Cardinals are chasing for the second NL Wild Card berth were off, St. Louis made up ground and built itself some momentum before it welcomes a Cincinnati team it’s chasing, with three games starting on Friday night.
“Any win at this point is important,” said starter Jake Woodford. “... Overall, as a team, it was huge to work our way back and split that series."
A win alone on Thursday was enough to breathe some life into the Cardinals, but how it came about helps:
Reyes sets the tone
Bitten by injuries, Reyes has had quite the winding career for a 27-year-old. His 2021 season is merely a microcosm: He set an MLB record, watched his walk rate rise, was named to an All-Star Game and has been removed from the closer role following his struggles in August.
It’s been a challenge, with two walk-off blasts on his watch over the last two weeks, but the support of his teammates and coaching staff has helped him work through the turmoil.
Also helping is the type of outing he provided on Thursday, when he delivered two dominant frames to pick up the win in relief of a similarly solid Woodford. Instead of contributing as closer -- Giovanny Gallegos was called upon with a one-run lead for the second straight day -- Reyes is performing the multi-inning role the Cardinals have plotted out for him as the season nears a close.
“His innings right there kind of set the tone for the back half of that game, the ways he was able to shut those guys down,” said catcher Andrew Knizner, who opened the scoring with an RBI double in the second inning.
The Cardinals still have Reyes pegged for their 2022 rotation. Shifting him to this new role they teased in Spring Training is what they hope helps him build up to the innings he needs for such a responsibility.
Closing to start the season was simply what his talent demanded, but he’s willing to take on any role to rattle off some wins.
“Next year sounds a little far away,” Reyes said. “I’ll focus on tomorrow and hopefully help the team get into the postseason.”
O’Neill’s emergence
With four plate appearances on Thursday, O'Neill increased his season tally to 443 -- just seven fewer than he had in the past three seasons combined. His home run in the fifth inning raised his slash line on the year to .278/.350/.529 with an .879 OPS -- which ranks as the highest on the Cardinals.
Those are stark jumps from the .229/.291/.422 line he posted across his 450 plate appearances entering 2021. And he’s doing it in the clutch, yanking his second game-winning blast in as many days.
“He's really grown into the consistent player that he’s wanted to be and is capable of,” Shildt said.
Pujols’ send-off
Fans at Busch Stadium were treated to a pair of appearances from Pujols, one of which was partly unexpected. For good measure on Thursday, with lefty T.J. McFarland on the mound and the Cardinals nursing a one-run lead, Pujols got one more standing ovation as a pinch-hitter. When he drew a walk, McFarland received a bit of a Bronx cheer, though it was not nearly as loud as the cheers for Pujols after his home run on Tuesday.
Thursday may have been Pujols’ final career plate appearance in St. Louis, depending on how the offseason unfolds.
“Let's don't forget to congratulate our man Albert Pujols,” Shildt said, unprompted, to wrap up his postgame Zoom with reporters. “I don't know if we'll see him again; hopefully we catch this club in the playoffs here. But if we don't see him walk on Busch Stadium dirt again, it was good to see, and it was a nice tribute to him again. Just a first-class gentleman."