ST. LOUIS — Among the many things around the Cardinals that are obvious well before they're official, add this one:
Adam Wainwright will start the one-game, do-or-done wild-card playoff game next Wednesday in California against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco Giants.
"I mean, is it shocking?" Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said.
He confirmed the assignment that was obvious with Wainwright's performance for the club this season and throughout the final two-month charge to the wild-card berth, and became crystal clear with the pitching assignments for the weekend against the Cubs.
The Cardinals' rotation for the regular-season finale will be:
— Dakota Hudson, RHP on Friday
— Jon Lester, LHP on Saturday
— Jake Woodford, RHP on Sunday
Shildt said the assignments were based on who has pitched most recently, with Hudson going this past Friday in Chicago and Lester following him the next day. There's more to it than that. By throwing Friday, Hudson will be available and on regular rest for a starter for the wild-card game. Lester and Woodford would be set up for whatever might follow the wild-card game.
Wainwright went 17-7 this season and leads the team with a 3.05 ERA. He's coming off a victory Tuesday that clinched the Cardinals' postseason berth and their 17th consecutive win.
The game will be his 16th postseason start, his 29th postseason appearance.
The Cardinals plan to have Edmundo Sosa (hand) and Yadier Molina (shoulder) in the lineups at some point during the coming weekend against the Cubs. Neither are starting Thursday vs. the Brewers.
Jack Flaherty will have one more relief appearance before the Cardinals determine whether he's going to be on the wild-card game roster.
The wild-card game will be Wednesday at either Dodger Stadium or Oracle Park depending on which team wins the NL West. The Dodgers begin Thursday two games behind the Giants for the division crown. The winner of the wild-card game will advance to face the NL West champ in the best-of-five division series.
The Cardinals continued to cycle through rest for some regulars and scheduled work for others with the lineup Thursday. They are trying to close the season with six wins in seven games against the division-champ Brewers. If the Cardinals and Milwaukee play again this season it will be for the National League pennant.
