Adam Wainwright started for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic semifinal against Cuba and immediately ran into trouble. A misplay by Tim Anderson and a bad throw pulled Paul Goldschmidt off the bag, putting a runner on early. A soft infield chopper added to the mess when Wainwright tried to field it instead of letting it roll foul. Another weak grounder snuck through, and suddenly the bases were loaded with no outs.
Wainwright tried to pitch to contact but wasn’t getting calls on the corners. He walked in a run and was clearly frustrated. Manager Mark DeRosa had limited bullpen options after heavy usage the night before, so he needed Wainwright to go deeper. Pitching coach Andy Pettitte came out and told Wainwright to trust his curveball, which had been effective. He listened. Wainwright started spinning breaking balls and got exactly what he needed: a grounder that Nolan Arenado turned into a force at home, followed by a pop-up and another routine groundout.
Despite the rocky first inning, Wainwright limited Cuba to one run. The early escape proved crucial, as Team USA exploded at the plate and scored 14 later in the game. The inning could have unraveled with a dropped pop-up or a passed ball, but key plays and timely pitching helped keep the damage minimal. Wainwright adjusted on the fly, leaned on his curve, and gave the bullpen a chance to breathe.