WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. • Adam Wainwright outdueled Justin Verlander Wednesday.
Yes, it was only for five innings and, yes, it was an exhibition game. But the step by step progression of the 36-year-old Wainwright this spring has been palpable after critics and even supporters had wondered in the off-season what might be left after he had had elbow surgery following a year in which he had a 5.11 earned run average.
Against a Houston lineup whose hitters in the first half of the order all were World Series heroes, Wainwright worked five innings without allowing an earned run in a 3-1 Cardinals win.