The defending World Series champion Houston Astros had a night to remember on Thursday as they busted out for 14 runs against the slumping St. Louis Cardinals and ultimately stole a series win from their former NL Central rivals.
Houston chased Adam Wainwright in the second inning after touching him for six runs.
However, despite being excited for his team after a huge win, manager Dusty Baker commented on another aspect of the game.
As Wainwright walked off the mound, cameras caught the look of sadness on his face.
Baker discussed the veteran right-hander’s struggles and offered a classy response.
John Denton of MLB.com tweeted what Baker had to say.
#Astros manager Dusty Baker on struggling #STLCards RHP Adam Wainwright:
“You hate to see him walk off sadly like that, but it happens to all of us. He's had a great career, and I'm hoping he gets those two victories he needs or more for 200.”https://t.co/CbH98nmAN4
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) June 30, 2023
Baker expressed empathy for the veteran right-hander, who now has a 7.45 ERA on the season.
He also praised him for the fantastic career he has had and expressed hope that the two-time World Series champion would be able to win two more games, which would put him at 200 for his career.
Baker has seen a lot of Wainwright over the course of his managerial career.
When Wainwright broke into the big leagues and closed out the 2006 World Series, Baker was the manager of the Chicago Cubs.
He also managed the Cincinnati Reds from 2007-13 and saw Wainwright at his best for several years.
This is a classy response by Baker, who is one baseball’s most respected managers, having been around for such a long time.
He’s seen Wainwright at his best and has also seen some of the veteran right-hander’s struggles.
But Baker did not celebrate the fact that the 41-year-old had such a tough start, and instead expressed sadness that his final season is trending in the wrong direction.
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