Adam Wainwright got a no-decision against the Pirates in his first ever Opening Day start in 2009 (photos/MLB)
Let’s jump right into the drama of the National League Central Division race with the first game of the season. The Cardinals will be pushed once again by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were just two games behind St. Louis. The Cardinals never had Adam Wainwright start after April 25th, yet managed to win 100 games.
Cardinals at Pittsburgh Pirates–first pitch, 12:05 p.m. CT, Sunday April 3rd
Starting pitchers:
Cardinals–Adam Wainwright
Pirates–Francisco Liriano
The matchup:
This will be Wainwright’s fourth straight Opening Day start and his first MLB start of any kind since last April. Wainwright missed much of 2015 with an Achilles injury, though he did return to pitch out of the bullpen late in the year. Liriano will make his third straight Opening Day start for the Pirates. The veteran lefty, hoping to reach the 200-inning threshold for the first time, went 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA in four starts against the Cardinals last year.
Wainwright’s history:
Wainwright’s five starts moves him into a second place tie with Chris Carpenter and Dizzy Dean. Bob Gibson leads the Cardinals with ten Opening Day starts.