The St. Louis Cardinals have been a bastion of winning baseball for the past two decades. Ever since the 21st century began, the Cardinals have finished below .500 just once, prior to the 2023 season, that is. The Cardinals' 2023 campaign has been nothing short of a nightmare, as the team has a mere 64-81 record even after their win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. But at the very least, Willson Contreras and company are looking to pursue small wins amid a dreadful season.

One such win the Cardinals have been angling for all season long is aiding in longtime starting pitcher Adam Wainwright's pursuit of 200 career wins — an incredible feat that only 265 pitchers in MLB history (at the time of writing) have accomplished. Wainwright is also aiming to be just the fifth active pitcher to breach the 200-win mark. And the 42-year old starter is so close to doing so, needing just one more after taking the win against the Orioles.

Thus, it's no surprise to see the Cardinals put pressure on themselves to accomplish this feat since they won't have much time to do so given Wainwright's plans to retire following the season.

“We put pressure on ourselves because we want him to get to 200 wins. … Hopefully, he can get to 200. That would make us proud as teammates,” Wainwright's battery mate, Willson Contreras, said, per Joe Trezza of MLB.com.

Alas, climbing the 200-win mark hasn't been easy at all for Wainwright and the Cardinals. Entering the 2023 season in need of just five wins to enter the esteemed 200-win club, Wainwright has had a nightmare of a season — a microcosm of the Cardinals' campaign. He has won just four games this season, losing 11, and he has pitched to the tune of a pitiful 7.95 ERA.

Wainwright appears to be in line to start on September 17 against the Philadelphia Phillies if the Cardinals decide to give him four days of rest before his next start. Getting his 200th win during that day won't, in any way, be a breeze for Wainwright, since the Phillies are still fighting for playoff positioning. Willson Contreras and the Cardinals, however, will be hoping that he turns back the hands of time on Monday.