When Adam Wainwright takes the mound at Busch Stadium this season, he's as automatic as seeing toasted ravioli on the menu of an Italian restaurant on The Hill, as cruel as the suffocating humidity of a St. Louis summer, as radiant as the metallic shine on the Gateway Arch.

On days when the tall righthander goes to work at Busch, just change his last name to "Win" right.

After breathing fire on the wilting Los Angeles Dodgers and winning 2-0 on a brutally hot Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, Wainwright improved to 10-0 with a 1.31 ERA at home this year. Ten starts, ten wins and toppling hitters like they're tenpins.

Wainwright has the lowest home ERA by a starting pitcher in the majors this season, and no starter can match his 10-0 record. At 6-0 at home, Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez and the NY Yankees' CC Sabathia are closest to Wainwright. And they're not close. He's home alone.

"Unfortunately, that's what we expect every time," Cardinals reliever Kyle McClellan said. "It's amazing the consistency he has to go out there and do it day in, day out. We've very spoiled by it. And it's been incredible to watch."

McClellan uses "unfortunately" in this context: When his 24 Cardinals teammates drive to Busch on days Wainwright is scheduled to pitch, they're counting on enjoying a victory. So far this season it's as close to a guaranteed victory as you'll find in sports. And it isn't fair to Wainwright.

"When he pitches, I have a good feeling knowing that I might get the day off, because he can always go out there and get the complete game," closer Ryan Franklin said. "Especially at home. He's done a hell of a job all year. His numbers are just crazy."

Wainwright has rolled through 25 consecutive quality starts at home. That's the longest such streak in major-league history. Wainwright hasn't been touched up for more than three runs in a home start since May 5, 2009. He's given up only two earned runs or fewer in 22 of the 25 starts.

"It's a great place to pitch," Wainwright said. "I've got my home fans behind me. It's a pitcher's park, a little bit. It's 120 degrees on the field, and not everybody is used to that. But we're used to it. Sleeping in my own bed. Seeing the kids in the morning before I go. There's a lot of things that go into it."

Here's the thing about Waino at home: He isn't just getting by and hanging on to win on the scorecards after taking a beating. He has a 16-6 record and a 1.52 ERA over the last 25 home starts. And it's almost an insult to him to toss his work into the category of "quality start."

Wainwright has easily topped the rather mundane standard — which by definition consists of at least six innings pitched and allowing no more than three runs. Translation: You can have a 4.50 ERA and still get credit for a quality start.

Well, Wainwright has been much, much better than that. Heck, he's even compiled a 2.62 ERA in his six losses during the 25-game quality-start streak. In those six losses the Cardinals scored a total of 12 runs during his 55 innings.

In his latest home-building project, Wainwright beat the Dodgers and the heat. Only three days after pitching the crucial seventh inning in the All-Star Game, Wainwright lasted six innings and 89 pitches Saturday. There was absolutely no reason for manager Tony La Russa to push Wainwright. And he didn't.

"Tony was just being protective of me, and I definitely wasn't arguing with him when he took me out," Wainwright said.

The heat was extreme.

"Very hot. Very, very hot," Wainwright said. "The hottest day I've felt in a long time."

But Wainwright got out of two tight jams with double-play grounders. He struck out three. And the Dodgers went 0 for 5 against Wainwright with runners in scoring position.

"He's such a mentally tough kid," Franklin said. "I haven't seen him rattled in my four years here."

Wainwright also debuted a new pitch Saturday: a changeup with a grip that he picked up from the Giants' two-time Cy Young winner, Tim Lincecum, at the All-Star Game. While tinkering with the new grip Friday, Wainwright didn't feel comfortable.

So Wainwright sent a text message to former Cardinal Todd Wellemeyer (now a Giant) and asked him to take a photo of Lincecum holding the ball in the changeup grip. Wellemeyer texted the photo to Wainwright, who adjusted his grip to match Lincecum's.

Wainwright estimates that he threw "eight to 10" changeups to the Dodgers. He was pleased with about half of them. "It's a work in progress," Wainwright said.

At 14-5 with a 2.02 ERA overall this season, Wainwright ranks second in the majors in wins and in ERA. Don't hand the NL Cy Young award to Jimenez, Florida's Josh Johnson or Philadelphia's Roy Halladay just yet. Wainwright is making a stand.

"I'm certainly locked in where I feel like I'm in control of my emotions, in control of my mechanics and body and everything that you need to throw a baseball," Wainwright said. "It's going good."

Especially at home, where Wainwright is pitching at historically brilliant levels. Consider: Bob Gibson's home ERA was 1.41 in 1968. John Tudor's home ERA was 1.49 in 1985. That's how special it is, to see Wainwright post a 1.31 ERA at home so far.

Wainwright dominating at Busch Stadium is becoming as routine as Chuck Berry duckwalking across the stage at Blueberry Hill.