Cy may be in the cards for Wainwright

ST. LOUIS -- For the most part, Adam Wainwright dismisses talk of individual honors and statistics. That's because in general, he gets it. He's a team guy, mindful of the fact that even individual honors don't come without help from others. Moreover, he understands that.

But still, there's a number that makes Wainwright smile a little bit. He's human. While he's on the mound, he's all business, but here and there, in a free minute, he thinks about what could be. He's closing in on 20 wins, long a magical number for starting pitchers, and he's a serious candidate for the National League Cy Young Award.

Cardinals at a glance 2009 record: 91-71 2008 record: 86-76 NL Central champs WHO ARE THESE GUYS? • McClellan: Hometown boy • Cards: Shaking off walk-off • Ludwick: Dream fulfilled • Hawksworth: On way up • Ryan: Playing it cool • Pujols: Ready for fun stuff • Wainwright: Proud, durable • Holliday: Kids' play • Pujols: Triple Crown? • La Russa: 14th postseason • Carpenter: Heart of staff • Pujols: Eschewing rest • Holliday: A perfect fit • Carpenter: Ready to go • La Russa: Getting proactive • Wainwright: Apt pupil • Pujols: His place in history? • Pujols: The evolution • Holliday: Offensive spark • La Russa: Controls fate • Pujols: MVP No. 3? • Wainwright: Mr. Consistent • La Russa: Winning cures all • Carpenter: A go Game 1 • Holliday: Big impact • Wainwright: Cy in cards? More Cardinals coverage • After going all-in, Cards mull 2010 Cards outperformed by robust foe Postseason comes to abrupt end Holliday welcomed warmly despite gaffe Cards look to '04 for motivation Miscue doesn't diminish Holliday's value Holliday joins long line of 'goats' Cards must cash in to save season Wainwright's gem spoiled in errant ninth Under radar, Pineiro a rock for Cards Cards focused, but history against them Wainwright's outing inspires awe Cards' stars frustrated in LA opener Short turnaround awaits Cards, Dodgers Clubs set left-on-base mark in Game 1 Wainwright has experience on his side Rookie relievers fill out roster Carpenter takes long road back to NLDS A whole new season for Cards, Dodgers La Russa, Torre collide in postseason Stability breeds chances for Cardinals NLDS is Pujols' first step toward goal With loss, Cards must pack bags for NLDS Wainwright denied 20th victory Carpenter's grand slam helps rout Reds Smoltz struggles in Cincy Homer bug bites Pineiro against Reds Dinged Ryan, Molina get night off Glaus returns; at-bats could be sparse Cards drop series finale to Rockies NL Central crown secured Wainwright wins 19th in clincher Cards look beyond Central title Cards can't nail down clinch, fall to Rox Pujols is TSN's Player of the Decade Magic number drops to one, despite loss Rout of Astros puts magic number at two DeRosa helps Cards trim magic number La Russa shuffles rotation for weekend Cards appear built for deep playoff run Bats, bullpen pick up Wellemeyer Lohse OK, set for return Smoltz says shoulder feels better

He'd be the first Cardinal to reach 20 wins since teammate and mentor Chris Carpenter did so in 2005 -- coincidentally, that's also the year that Carpenter won the Cy Young.

His last time out, on Wednesday, Wainwright dominated the Brewers en route to win No. 18 on the season. It marked the fourth consecutive start in which he was credited with the W, and the 13th time in his past 16 decisions.

Wainwright is coming on, regardless of what the win total says. But there's no denying that the win total is a pretty nice one. Wainwright leads the Majors in the category, and on Tuesday against Florida, he'll go for No. 19.

"That's definitely a cool number," he grinned after picking up his 18th.

Wins have, rightly, lost some of their shimmer in recent years. Baseball analysis has made it very clear that a won-lost record is not a good way to evaluate a pitcher's ability. Nonetheless, to pitchers themselves, the number is an important one. To Wainwright, the even bigger number is his team's record when he pitches -- and, by the way, it's pretty good. The Redbirds have gone 22-8 when their young ace takes the mound.

As a result, he may also be closing in on another kind of individual recognition: the Cy Young. Carpenter, of course, has won one, and he's one of Wainwright's top challengers. So is San Francisco dervish Tim Lincecum. But that win total could secure it for Wainwright. Rightly or wrongly, the voters are extremely likely to reward him if he stands three or four wins clear of the rest of the league when the season ends.

"It would be cool," he admitted. "It would be awesome to win that. But winning for the team comes first. If I could get another ring, of course I would rather do that. But you win an award like that, it [means that] all the hard work that you've done going into the season and during the season, the adjustments you made during the season, it's paying off. Whether I win it or not, I still feel pretty good about my season."

He ought to. It's been an excellent one. He recently crossed the 200-inning mark for the second time in his career. His 2.59 ERA would be the lowest of his career, significantly better than even the year he spent in relief (2006). He's obliterated his personal mark in strikeouts, with 175. He is, simply, an elite pitcher.

Even the one number that might be used against him doesn't tell the whole story.

"Those seven losses," said manager Tony La Russa, "are very misleading."