The World Baseball Classic is under way.
Certain MLB stars have now had their chance to experience this legendary event for the first time.
On Saturday, Team USA began their schedule and St. Louis Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright got a chance to start the opener.
In four innings of work, he allowed just one run on five hits and struck out four batters.
Wainwright is competing in the WBC for the first time in his career after being cut from the Olympic team back in 2003.
After the game, Wainwright talked about what it means for him to compete in the WBC.
“That’s pretty close to playoff baseball right there. I thought it was the most exciting game I’ve pitched in a long time. It was so fun. It was a special day for me.”
–Adam Wainwright on pitching for Team USA in the WBC pic.twitter.com/TBcesnxX0I
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) March 12, 2023
The two-time World Series champion said that it was almost like a postseason game.
The right-hander certainly has experience in big games, having closed out the NLCS and World Series for the Cardinals in 2006 and becoming one of the team’s most reliable postseason starters.
However, he did not pitch in the Cardinals Wild Card Series loss last postseason, so to him, this start was something special.
He even went as far as to say that it was one of the most exciting games he had pitched in a long time.
The last postseason game Wainwright pitched in was the Wild Card Game in 2021 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The veteran gave St. Louis 5.1 innings and allowed just one run, but the team went on to lose the game by a final of 3-1.
This time, he managed to walk off the mound with a lead and help guide Team USA to their first WBC win.
NEXT:
Adam Wainwright Begins His Yearly Tradition
