Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is convinced that Great American Ball Park is the devil's lair and wants to burn it to the ground.
St. Louis Cardinals' Adam Wainwright hasn't been his best pitching self lately. Part of the reason is because of his age and declining efficiency. The other part, as Waino himself claims, is because he just played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
On Tuesday, the Cardinals thumped the Cincinnati Reds 8-5 in the second game of the series, marking Wainwright's 197th career win.
One would think that Wainwright would be a positive mood following the victory, but all he could talk about was that darn ballpark, his most loathed stadium of his worst nightmares.
Wainwright entered Tuesday with a 5.73 ERA in 22 appearances at Great American Ball Park. He has allowed 37 earned runs in his last seven starts at this stadium dating back to 2017. For whatever reason, Wainwright just doesn't pitch well whenever he enters what he calls "the devil's lair" and he half-jokingly blamed it on " a curse."
Wainwright said of his performance on Tuesday:
"I gave up too many extra-base hits, but that's because this place is from the devil. There's a curse on this place, a deadly curse."
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright loathes Great American Ball Park
He goes on, recounting his trauma from this wretched place:
"It's because this is the devil's lair, and his tent is out there on the field right now. I really feel bad for the pitchers who have to pitch here every five days."
In the 8-5 win, Wainwright gave up a homer and four doubles, eventually leaving the game in the sixth inning while his team was ahead.
Following Tuesday, Wainwright's ERA at Great American Ball Park jumps up to a cringe-inducing 5.83.
Wainwright seems like he wants to blame his poor form against his division rivals on the stadium itself, and it's hard to argue against the evidence. The Reds are the only team Wainwright owns a losing record against with multiple decisions (11-17), and at this stage in his career, he probably can't wait to retire just so that he'll never have to play at Great American Ball Park again.
The last thing Wainwright vented about was how he would come back to Cincinnati on one condition: when the Great American Ball Park gets demolished. After all those years of torture, Wainwright would like the honors of pressing the button to blow that place to smithereens.
"I would like to press the button. I will be here for that."
It's like an opposite "Field of Dreams" plot: If you destroy it, he will come.
