ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright has not asked for these moments, though they’ve continued to find him. Granted, he excels in them, but if it was up to him, there’d be no need to resemble the Cardinals’ stopgap. The suggestion of a stopgap infers that there’s a hole to be filled.

But that's the unfortunate reality of this Cardinals season. Five times in 2021, the club handed Wainwright, a 16-year veteran, a losing streak of multiple games.

Five times, he has ended them.

That’s the norm, one he provided again in St. Louis’ 4-2 win over its cross-state rival Royals on Friday night at Busch Stadium, buoyed by a big night from Tyler O’Neill, who homered alongside Paul Goldschmidt. Untouchable for four of his seven frames, Wainwright worked around traffic in the fourth and fifth before a string of four consecutive hits bit him for two runs in the sixth.

Such stumbles resembled the team’s stopgap hitting his own divot -- only to prove sturdy in his own right with an eight-pitch seventh.

“I kind of just want to be like a robot,” Wainwright said. “I have processes in place that allow me to be ready to pitch each time. I have a pretty regimented routine between and all that, but I do like extra incentive. It doesn’t matter what [happened] the at-bat before or two at-bats before or two games before. Everything was just part of this big process where I was ready to pitch every time because I'm prepared, and I know I did the routine that works for me, the regime that that works for me between starts and all that to recover.

“But seemingly, I do get up a little bit more when I have a little extra incentive.”

Just a little?

This year, in games Wainwright has been handed a losing streak, he owns a 2.18 ERA. In his career, he owns a .660 winning percentage (87-45) in games following a loss, including 5-2 in starts this season.

“He's a perfect Cardinal, an ideal Cardinal. … Just mentally, mentally tough and has an amazing ability to focus,” said manager Mike Shildt. “ … He's always present, and he doesn't give into big situations. He actually gets better, and uses that against the other guys.”

The win was Wainwright’s 10th of the year, joining Bob Gibson (14) and Jesse Haines (11) as just the third pitcher in franchise history with 11 campaigns of double-digit victories.

Wainwright has been thrust into this elevated role atop the rotation, too, not due to desire per se, but due to circumstances. Jack Flaherty, the club’s ace through the first two months, has been absent since the start of June with a left oblique injury, though he could return when the club heads to Pittsburgh next week. When that happens, and Wainwright hands the reins back over to the 25-year-old, he’ll do so with a 3.15 ERA since his opening series clunker in Cincinnati.

But the respect and awe he’s garnered from his teammates is immeasurable.

“You can see it in his face from before he goes out on to the mound,” said closer Alex Reyes, who worked a clean ninth inning after a disastrous eighth inning on Thursday.

“Obviously,” said Royals first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn, “he knows what he’s doing.”

And Wainwright is doing this all at 39 years of age, set to turn 40 at the end of the month. Asked if he’s thought about returning for his 17th season in 2022, Wainwright responded that it only crosses his mind when he’s asked about it … which has become more frequent by the day. He still has to consult his wife, Jenny, and his five kids.

“It’s nice to be wanted,” he said.

Asked if he thinks he can catch Gibson’s franchise mark of 14 seasons with double-digit wins, Wainwright smiled.

“He’s got a safe lead.”