PHILADELPHIA -- Through five innings at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday night, Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright had yet another masterful performance in the works, having surrendered just one run and four hits to the Phillies.

However, that was before Wainwright faced somewhat of a personal nemesis, Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins, for a third time in the game. That’s when Hoskins once again ruined Wainwright’s night -- one already marred by the continued absence of Wainwright’s close friend and personal catcher for much of the past 18 years, injured veteran Yadier Molina.  

Hoskins came into Sunday 4-for-7 with two home runs in his career against Wainwright, but things were briefly looking up for the veteran when he caught the slugger looking in the first inning with a 73.3 mph curveball that featured nearly six feet of vertical break. 

However, Wainwright’s spotty history against Hoskins reverted to the norm when he hit a 401-foot home run that left the bat at 107.5 mph in the fourth inning. In the sixth, Hoskins was once again at the root of Wainwright’s unraveling. The slugger missed another home run by a matter of feet and his leadoff double opened an inning in which Wainwright surrendered three runs that led to the Cardinals’ eventual 4-0 loss to the Phillies.

Afterward, Wainwright wanted nothing to do with talk that his rough patch -- he’s earned a loss or no-decision in seven of his last eight outings -- has come just as Molina has missed time with right knee inflammation. Instead, Wainwright pointed the finger at himself when assigning blame for his latest shaky outing. 

“I felt great [going into the sixth inning], but I made two really horrible pitches to [Nick] Castellanos and [J.T.] Realmuto -- just terrible pitches,” said Wainwright, who saw his record drop to 6-6 with a 3.26 ERA. “The home run earlier to Hoskins was off a hanging cutter. So, three mistake breaking balls cost us the game.”

Wainwright didn’t stop there, lamenting that he let the hot-hitting Hoskins beat him again. On April 26 of last season, Hoskins hit two solo home runs to topple Wainwright, who had pitched a complete game and was otherwise brilliant. Following Sunday’s home run and double, Hoskins is 6-for-10 with three home runs and a double against the future Hall of Famer.

“He’s one of those guys I don’t make good pitches to,” Wainwright said. “The two home runs he hit off me [in 2021], I think I went a complete game against them. I gave up two solo home runs to just him and they were both belt-high right down the middle. Big league hitters are going to hit those. He’s got some power and he hits the ball right down the middle really well. Unfortunately, I’ve thrown him three of them now.”

Wainwright’s struggles allowed another disturbing trend to continue for the Cardinals. Remarkably, St. Louis has dropped eight series finales in a row -- a drought that began after they beat the Cubs in a Sunday Night Baseball showdown on June 5. Because of the troubles finishing what they started, the Cardinals are 3-4-1 in their last eight series. Losing on Sunday dropped them to 7-17 in series finales on the season.

“We’ve got to be able to win series,” said manager Oliver Marmol, whose team had just four hits off Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler. “We’re taking our best shot, but today didn’t work.”

Wainwright said it would be unfair to young Cardinals catchers Andrew Knizner and Iván Herrera to pin his recent struggles on the absence of Molina, who has been on the injured list with right knee pain since June 16. To ram home his point, Wainwright noted, “[Knizner and Herrera] didn’t throw the ball right down the middle” to Hoskins.

However, failing to discount the loss of the veteran catcher would be short-sighted considering the history Wainwright and Molina have compiled. Together, they are the winningest starting battery in MLB history, with the Cardinals notching 207 victories in their starts together. Also, the 40-year-old Wainwright and the 39-year-old Molina are tied for second in combined starts (316) and have Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan’s record of 324 starts in their sights.

For that to be possible, the Cardinals need Molina back from his native Puerto Rico and back in the starting lineup. Marmol said he is confident that will happen at some point this season. As for Wainwright, he is eagerly awaiting the return of a teammate he considers his “brother.” 

“I’m sad out there -- I’m not pitching sad, but I miss my buddy,” Wainwright said. “He’s doing OK. He’s resting up and healing up and getting his body in the right spot. Hopefully we’ll see him soon.”