ST. LOUIS — Coming into the 2022 season, Cardinals veterans Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina needed just 21 starts together to break a record that will likely stand for decades, if not forever.
With 21 starts in the 2022 season, the pair would break the all-time MLB record (since 1908) for starts as a battery. It finally happened Wedneday night, Sept. 14 at Busch Stadium.
Legendary Detroit Tigers battery Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan were the previous holders of the record, with 324 career starts together from 1963-75. The Boston and Milwaukee Braves tandem of Warren Spahn and Del Crandall had the second-most starts as a battery at 316 from 1949-63.
Wainwright and Molina have been teammates since the 2005 season, when Wainwright made his MLB debut. Wainwright made his first start on April 6, 2007.
Molina said 2022 will be his final season in the majors. Wainwright has left the door open to continue pitching.
We're tracking every start from the Wainwright/Molina tandem in 2022, as they inch closer to history.
Sept. 14 - Start 325
The historic start finally came for Wainwright and Molina Wednesday night against the Brewers.
With the pair's 325th start, they eclipsed the Tigers' duo of Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan for the most starts as a battery in MLB history.
Wainwright battled through five innings, allowing a run and striking out three Brewers.
Molina had an RBI single in the second inning to give the Cardinals the lead at the time and also threw out former Cardinal Kolten Wong attempting to steal at second base.
Sept. 8 - Start 324
In the day game at home against the Nationals, Molina and Wainwright tied the all-time battery record with the Tigers' Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan.
Wainwright will certainly be hoping for a better result for the eventual record-breaker. He went five innings, allowing four runs and striking out two Nationals.
Molina had a big day, with two home runs and three RBIs.
The Cardinals lost the game 11-6.
The start to break the all-time battery record is expected to come on Sept. 14 at home against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sept. 3 - Start 323
Wainwright and Molina made their 323rd start against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.
Wainwright allowed four hits in the first inning, giving up three runs. After a rocky start, he settled into the game and did not give up another run until the fifth inning. He pitched five innings total, striking out two batters and walking two.
Molina came up big for the Cardinals in a six-run third inning, leading the way to a win. Molina's double brought in three runs against Cub's starter Drew Smyly.
Molina went 1-4 at the plate.
The Cardinals won 8-4 thanks to Molina's double and back-to-back homers from Edman and O'Neill.
Wainwright and Molina are two starts away from breaking the all-time record.
Aug. 28 - Start 322
It was another vintage start for Wainwright against his hometown Atlanta Braves, and he made some headlines before the game even began.
The Sunday Night Baseball broadcast on ESPN mic'd Wainwright up as he went through his pregame routine to get ready for a game, and he walked the audience through everything they don't normally get to see.
And the cameras following along with Wainwright's warm up didn't throw him off his game in the slightest.
Wainwright went six and two-thirds innings against the Braves, striking out four and allowing just two earned runs.
Molina continued to struggle at the plate, going 0-3.
The Cardinals ended up winning the game 6-3 thanks to a late 3-run home run from Tyler O'Neill.
With start 322, Wainwright and Molina are just three starts away from breaking the all-time record.
Aug. 19 - Start 321
Wainwright and Molina teamed up for start 321 to open a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The offense went quiet for Wainwright on this day, notching a goose egg on the scoreboard.
Wainwright went six innings, allowing two runs, striking out three and walking five as the Cardinals lost 2-0.
Molina went 0-4 in the effort.
Aug. 18 - Start 320
With just five starts to go before they break the record, the Cardinals' duo had quite the day against the Rockies.
Wainwright had one of his best starts of the season, going seven shut out innings and striking out seven while allowing just three hits.
Molina was 0-4 at the plate, but nabbed a Colorado runner at second on a laser throw.
Aug. 13 - Start 319
Waino and Yadi continued to creep closer to that all-time battery mark, with a dominant performance by the ace on the mound.
Wainwright fired nine innings of one-run ball against the Brewers, allowing just three hits and striking out eight.
Molina tallied a 1 for 4 night at the plate.
The Cardinals ended up falling to the Brewers in extra innings, by the score of 3 to 3.
Aug. 7 - Start 318
Waino and Yadi moved one step closer to the all-time battery record while the team chased some history of its own against the Yankees.
Wainwright fought through four innings allowing six earned runs on eight hits and four walks. He battled the Yankees lineup as well as the strike zone of home-plate umpire Ed Hickox, who drew the ire of both teams.
Waino left the game early, but Yadier Molina stayed in for the entire four-hour-26-minute game, the longest nine-inning game of the Major League Baseball season so far.
Molina was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. The hit was Molina's 1,000th at Busch Stadium III, the most of any player.
The stars of the game were Paul DeJong and Nolan Arenado, who each had home runs and four RBIs as the Cardinals came out on top 12-9.
It was the first time the Cardinals have swept the Yankees in a regular season series, and the first time the Yankees have been swept in a series this season.
Aug. 2 - Start 317
After 49 days between starts together, Molina and Wainwright resumed their quest for the record in August.
Molina had been out since June 16 rehabbing from knee inflammation in his native Puerto Rico.
With their 317th start together, Molina and Wainwright moved past Warren Spahn and Del Crandall to sit alone at second place on the all-time battery starts list.
Wainwright turned in a superb outing against the Cubs, going seven shutout innings and allowing just six hits while striking out four.
Molina went 0-4 at the plate but did gun out a would-be base stealer in the first inning.
June 11 - Start 316
Wainwright and Molina moved into a tie for the second-most starts by batterymates in baseball history against the Cincinnati Reds.
With 316 career starts together, Wainwright and Molina tied Warren Spahn and Del Crandall of the Milwaukee Braves for second place on the all-time list.
Wainwright turned in another solid outing, going seven innings, striking out seven and allowing three earned runs. Wainwright earned a no decision as the Cardinals came back to win the game in the ninth on a walk-off two run homer from Tommy Edman.
Molina had a forgettable day at the plate, going 0-4.
June 5 - Start 315
The Wainwright/Molina duo got the prime time treatment for start 315 in Chicago on Sunday Night Baseball.
Facing the Cubs, Wainwright was solid on the hill, tossing seven innings while only allowing two earned runs.
He didn't get the win himself, but his team did pull off an extra inning victory to beat the Cubs 5-2 in 11 innings.
Molina logged an 0-5 in the game as the pair moved one start away from a tie with Spahn and Crandall for second-most starts as a battery together.
May 31 - Start 314
Start 314 took place in the 314 and was one of Wainwright's best of the season.
The veteran ace allowed just two hits and no runs over seven innings and piled up a season-high 10 strikeouts. It was the most strikeouts in a game for Waino since he fanned 11 in a game against the Atlanta Braves on June 20, 2021.
Wainwright left the game with a 2-0 lead, but Giovanny Gallegos couldn't make it stand, so Wainwright was left with a no-decision.
Molina went 0-4 with a strikeout at the plate, but he applied the tag to complete a game-saving outfield assist from Lars Nootbaar in the 10th inning.
Albert Pujols drove in two runs, including the game-winner in the 10th inning, giving the Cardinals a 3-2 win.
May 26 - Start 313
It looked like start 313 for the pair may have to wait a bit with Yadier Molina on the bereavement list, but he ended up being activated right before this Thursday game against the Brewers.
It was one to forget for the battery.
Wainwright went five innings allowing 10 hit and three earned runs in the loss. Wainwright fell to 5-4 on the season as the Cardinals lost 4-3.
At the plate, Molina went 0-2 with two walks, which were amazingly his first two walks of the season.
May 20 - Start 312
Start 312 was an incredibly productive one for both Wainwright and Molina.
Wainwright was superb against the Pirates, going seven innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out three. Wainwright got the win to move to 5-3 on the season.
Molina had the biggest offensive day for the Cardinals, registering two hits and two RBIs as the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh 5-3.
The battery is just four starts away from tying Warren Spahn and Del Crandall for second place on the all-time battery starts list after their 312th start.
May 15 - Start 311
Start 311 took a bit longer to complete than planned, with Wainwright missing a start on the COVID-19 list.
But the pair hit a milestone in their Sunday start against the Giants. With the Cardinals 16-5 win over San Francisco, the battery of Wainwright and Molina became the all-time winningest battery in baseball history.
This was team win 203 for the pair, which passes Braves battery Warren Spahn and Del Crandall for the most all-time.
Wainwright went six innings, allowing just three hits, two earned runs and striking out five to get the win.
Molina had a big game, too notching two hits with a home run and four RBIs.
May 4 - Start 310
Wainwright and Molina hit a milestone against the Royals in Kansas City.
With the Cardinals' 10-0 shutout win, the pair moved into a tie for first place all-time in team wins as a battery. They are tied up top with Braves battery Warren Spahn and Del Crandall.
Wainwright went seven innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two in the win.
Molina went 1 for 5 at the plate.
April 29 - Start 309
Start 309 in the pair's journey came at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Wainwright pitched six innings, allowing three runs, five walks and striking out four batters.
Molina went 1 for 4 at the plate.
The Cardinals lost the game 6-2.
April 24 - Start 308
Wainwright and Molina's 308th start didn't go well in Cincinnati.
The Reds scored four runs off Wainwright in five innings and beat the Cardinals 4-1.
Molina went 0 for 4, striking out twice.
April 19 - Start 307
Wainwright and Molina moved into third place all-time on the career battery starts list with this start in Miami.
Wainwright went five and two-thirds innings, allowing one run while striking out six Marlins. The Cardinals got the win 5-1, giving Wainwright the 186th win of his career.
Molina went 0 for 4 at the plate.
With the shutout, Molina moved into second place all-time in shutout wins as a catcher. After this game, Molina trailed St. Louis native Yogi Berra by 13 shutouts for most by a catcher in baseball history.
April 14 - Start 306
The tandem got their second start of the season in Milwaukee against the Brewers, where hey moved into a tie with Red Faber and Ray Schalk of the Chicago White Sox with 306 career starts as a battery.
Things didn't go as well as they did on opening day.
Wainwright lasted four and a third innings, allowing four earned runs, two walks and striking out seven.
Molina went 1 for 3 at the plate.
The Cardinals lost the game 1-5.
April 7 - Start 305
On opening day 2022, Wainwright and Molina had their pregame moment of cheers, and then went to work against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Wainwright worked six innings of shutout baseball, striking out six Pirates and not allowing a run while also not walking any batters. He got the win, the 185th of his career.
Molina went 0 for 4 at the plate.
The Cardinals won the game 9-0.