Wainwright expects another winning season

JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright never felt in sync last spring, struggling to find the perfect delivery.

Then after a mediocre start, Wainwright huddled with pitching coach Dave Duncan, made a few tweaks and a Cy Young Award-type season was born.

"Early in the season I had decent numbers, but I just battled, battled, battled," Wainwright said. "My arm slot was off. I had a couple of mechanical flaws. I really wasn't attacking hitters like I wanted to."

Now Wainwright expects a season more like the one everyone saw the final 4 1/2 months of 2009, one that ended with the right-hander tied for the major league high with 19 wins and finishing third in the tightest Cy Young voting in history.

"That's the confidence a starting pitcher gives the club," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "As soon as they know that a guy like Adam is pitching, you perk up, you feel like your chances of winning are improved. It's a huge edge."

Wainwright worked out this winter conscious of his delivery. He arrived for spring training feeling better about his mechanics.

"It's something you have to continually remind yourself of," he said. "You have checkpoints you continue to make on your bullpen sessions and even playing catch every day, making sure you're in the right slot."

Wainwright said he can remember the day he corrected the flaw. It was during a bullpen session in Pittsburgh in May.

"I was able to repeat my delivery," Wainwright said. "When you're able to repeat your delivery, you can do consistent things with the ball."

Consistent enough that by the end of the season Wainwright was 19-8 with a 2.63 ERA and 212 strikeouts. His closest competition in the Cy Young race was teammate Chris Carpenter, who was 17-4 with a 2.24 ERA and 144 strikeouts, and eventual winner Tim Lincecum of the Giants, who was 15-7 with a 2.48 ERA and 261 strikeouts.

Wainwright finished third despite having the most first-place votes.

"I was very disappointed," La Russa said. "Lincecum is a great pitcher, but in this particular year I don't think he outpitched our two guys. We've already turned the page on that one, but it was disappointing."

Notes: Outfielder Matt Holiday returned Wednesday after missing one day because of the flu. "I'm not feeling great but I'm feeling good enough," he said.