With many members of his family in the stands and home all around him, rising three, four decks high, Lance Lynn knew everything he did Tuesday night at Busch Stadium might be the last time he does any of it as a Cardinal.
The last time buttoning up a white jersey with the redbirds for one of his starts.
The last warmup in that bullpen.
The last fastball off this mound.
And, even the last technicolor exultation after the last strikeout that echoes just so around the familiar field to stay ahead of the censors.
All of the potential lasts gave this outing added purpose.
鈥淥bviously, if this is your last start at Busch Stadium, you don鈥檛 want to lose,鈥 Lynn said. 鈥淭hat was simple. 鈥 It鈥檚 like one of those things. If this is your last time, let it all hang out. I said some things.鈥
People are also reading…
He also won. Again.
Lynn remained unbeaten at home this season and unbeaten at Busch since July 2017 after six sturdy innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. A runaway triple from Luken Baker tied the game, a timely solo homer from Jordan Walker broke that tie, and three unflinching innings from the bullpen secured a 3-1 victory for Lynn. Ryan Helsley punctuated what could be a parting gift for Lynn with his 45th save. Lynn improved to 7-4 for the season and 6-0 in 13 starts at Busch Stadium.
If the schedule and standings haven鈥檛, his knee will tell him if it鈥檚 his last.
Lynn and the Cardinals plan to discuss Wednesday if he鈥檒l make another start this season, and the decision will be based partially on how the veteran right-hander feels physically a day after Tuesday鈥檚 outing. At his locker 鈥 in the same spot Adam Wainwright stood a year ago following his last start as a Cardinal 鈥 Lynn guaranteed if he does make one more start it will be Sunday in the regular season鈥檚 home finale at Busch.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 my last start as a Cardinal, I would like it to be in St. Louis,鈥 Lynn said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l cross that bridge when I wake up and have that conversation.鈥
That will be the first of several talks about his future.
Lynn, 37, signed a one-year deal to return to the Cardinals seven years after he left for free agency and 13 years after he debuted with the team that drafted him. The contract has a $12-million option for 2025, though factors are stacking up that would lead the Cardinals to decline it and pay the $1-million buyout. Lynn spent six weeks on the injured list with an angry, swollen knee. A second consecutive disappointing finish in the National League Central and a downturn in attendance will prompt retooling for the roster and the rotation. Lynn may seek a chance to chase another championship.
The club has not detailed its spending plans, though changes are expected in and around the clubhouse in response to a season spent orbiting .500.
After a season that included his 2,000th strikeout ahead of his 2,000th inning, Lynn has not yet decided if he鈥檒l pitch in 2025.
鈥淚f you ask me if I want to pitch, I never want to stop pitching,鈥 Lynn said. 鈥淚 know there is going to come a time when that is going to happen. Haven鈥檛 really thought about it. I know it鈥檚 part of getting older.鈥
Which only added to the atmosphere 鈥 the vibe 鈥 of Tuesday鈥檚 game.
His 100th appearance at Busch and his 90th start there were another couple of round numbers to reach, especially when they could be the last.
"You get to this time of the year, and you know this is the last home stand, that it might be the last time you wear a Cardinals uniform in Busch Stadium," Lynn said. "I went out there with the intention of making the best of it. We won the game, and I had a good time doing it."
He added later: "I went out a winner if that鈥檚 what it is."
With most of his family present (鈥淐an鈥檛 lose in front of them,鈥 he said), Lynn retired the side in the first inning on six pitches. In his second start since returning from the IL, the right-hander muscled through the second inning after allowing a solo homer to Bryan De La Cruz. He pitched around a one-out double in the third inning with a strikeout that inspired one of those curse-word celebrations that ricocheted through the scarce attendance so that it could be heard on the third level.
Baker鈥檚 triple tied the game in the bottom of that inning, and Walker鈥檚 fourth homer of the season 鈥 a 425-foot blast that pinballed off the back wall of the visitors鈥 bullpen 鈥 seized the lead for the Cardinals in the fourth.
Lynn pressed on through the fifth to qualify for the win.
In his career at Busch, Lynn improved to 46-20 with an ERA of 2.88. He is among the all-time leaders in several pitching categories at the downtown ballpark, and he remains among the Cardinals鈥 leaders in postseason feats. His start Tuesday was his 21st consecutive without a loss at Busch. The six innings dropped his ERA at home this season to a fitting 3.14.
Well, truthfully, it鈥檚 3.145.
But why let rounding rules ruin poetry?
鈥淚 can give up 106-mph line drives that get caught in center field, so that鈥檚 fun,鈥 Lynn said when asked about what he enjoys about Busch. 鈥淔ans have always been great. Always had great fan support. Always knew the other team was here to beat you. The lights turn on here and it鈥檚 fun to play.鈥
A double play got Lynn out of the fifth inning with the one-run lead in place. He got three outs from four batters in the sixth inning, and that was his evening. He did not get the mid-inning departure to cue an ovation 鈥 so maybe that鈥檚 yet to come. He did, however, get a measured outing that put him near 100 pitches but did not push his knee to throw a 100th pitch. That鈥檚 been an approach the Cardinals have quietly had throughout the season as he managed knee pain and would sometimes cut a start shorter than use to save innings, save wear, and set up his next start.
鈥淵ou have you times here and there when things pop up, (and) the older you get, the more things 鈥 they linger is the easiest way to say it,鈥 Lynn said. 鈥淚 learned a long time ago, you鈥檙e not going to feel good throughout the whole year. So you have to figure out how to get through it. Sometimes you need to take rest. Sometimes you鈥檙e able to manage it. This year I had to take a little bit of rest at times. There were times we managed not going innings I could have.鈥
Lynn鈥檚 six innings left the bullpen nine outs to get. Ryan Fernandez zipped through the seventh with two strikeouts. Matthew Liberatore, in a compelling assignment for the lefty, got the eighth. It was one of the few times he鈥檚 pitched in a true setup bind: He faced the top of the Pirates鈥 order with a one-run lead. Pittsburgh has a pedestrian offense, but there to greet Liberatore was a tricky run of right-handed hitters.
He allowed back-to-back base hits to being the eighth.
He was able to get an out without trading a run, though the Cardinals allowed the runner to advance to second base. Liberatore had a one-run lead, two runners in scoring position, and a former MVP in Andrew McCutchen at the plate.
He was also packing advice from Lynn.
鈥淎 lot of talks about sequencing or pitch shapes or reading hitters or scouting reports,鈥 Liberatore, a relative rookie in relief, recalled his conversations with the veteran right-hander. 鈥淲e鈥檝e talked about so many things over the past seven months. Pitching in general, he鈥檚 been one of my go-to guys this year.鈥
Liberatore spun a 90-mph slider at the start of McCutchen鈥檚 at-bat. He followed with a series of pitches that would make Lynn proud 鈥 fastball after fastball after 98-mph fastball. Ahead in the count, Liberatore ended the at-bat and essentially the inning with an 80-mph curve.
He retired a pinch-hitter to finish the inning and hand Lynn鈥檚 win to Helsley.
Lynn allowed four hits in his six innings. He struck out four, and the lone run he allowed came on the second-inning homer. The quality start was his first since returning from the IL and the six innings his longest outing in the majors since July 13. If Tuesday was his last start, he finishes having allowed two runs in 11 innings since the IL and only three runs total in his previous 21 innings. He鈥檚 won five of his past six decisions and lost only once since the end of May.
The conversations ahead will determine if that鈥檚 how this ends.
鈥淚鈥檝e made a career out of getting by with whatever I have,鈥 Lynn said. 鈥淧roved I can still do that. I feel good about the way that I finished here. We鈥檒l see what the future holds. You never want the seasons to end.
鈥淏ut unfortunately, they do.鈥