Yadier Molina found himself in the middle of most of the pivotal plays in the St. Louis Cardinals’ 4-3 series-opening win in Pittsburgh on Friday night.
The catcher’s two-run, two out single in the first inning got the Cardinals started right, giving them a lead they would hold until the bottom of the eighth.
Leading off the sixth, Molina reached via a throwing error and eventually came around to score his team’s third run on a Skip Schumaker single.
In the bottom of the eighth, Molina was involved in two big plays. In the first, Andy LaRoche was caught in a rundown between third and home. Molina ran him back to the bag, where the trailing runner, Andrew McCutchen, had also taken up residence. When the out call was made on McCutchen, LaRoche must have thought he was being called out and stepped off the bag. Molina alertly tagged him for the second out as McCutchen, still on the bag, tried in vain to pull LaRoche back.
After Trever Miller hit the next two batters to reload the bases, closer Ryan Franklin’s offering scooted between Molina’s legs. Though it was scored a wild pitch since it was in the dirt, it allowed Pittsburgh to tie the game at three and cost Chris Carpenter a much-deserved win. Carpenter had gone seven innings, allowing two runs.
Molina then drove in the winning run in the top of the ninth with another two-out hit, a double struck into the right-center gap. Joe Mather, pinch-running for Matt Holliday, scored. Though he was not driven home, Molina even added a stolen base as he swiped third.
Molina went 4-for-5 on the evening with three RBI. With four stolen bases on the season, he is tied with Colby Rasmus for the team lead. Molina’s 19 RBI ties him with David Freese for second-most on the Cardinals behind Albert Pujols. The 19 RBI also leads all Major League Baseball catchers.
From a historical perspective, it was Molina’s sixth four-hit game in his five full and two partial seasons as a major leaguer. Since 1952, he ranks third in four-hit games by a Cardinals catcher.
Four-hit games, Cardinals catcher, 1953-current
| Catcher | 4-hit games |
| Ted Simmons | 19 |
| Tim McCarver | 8 |
| Yadier Molina | 6 |
In the almost-30 years since Ted Simmons left after the 1980 season, there have been a dozen four-hit games by Cardinals catchers. Molina has half of them and half of those have been against Pittsburgh.
Four-hit games, Cardinals catcher, 1981-current
| Player | Date | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | IBB | SO | SB | CS |
| Yadier Molina | 5/7/2010 | PIT | W 4-3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Yadier Molina | 7/17/2009 | ARI | W 6-1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yadier Molina | 8/22/2008 | ATL | W 18-3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yadier Molina | 7/12/2008 | PIT | L 11-12 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yadier Molina | 6/2/2006 | CHC | L 4-5 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yadier Molina | 5/25/2005 | PIT | W 11-5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody McKay | 5/29/2004 | HOU | W 10-3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Matheny | 6/16/2003 | MIL | L 4-9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Difelice | 5/24/1997 | SFG | W 9-3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Pagnozzi | 4/27/1995 | PHI | L 2-6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Pagnozzi | 5/26/1991 | NYM | W 14-4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Pena | 5/4/1989 | LAD | W 12-0 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In one final tidbit, researcher Tom Orf also notes that the last Cardinals catcher to collect four hits and steal a base in the same game was Tim McCarver on June 10, 1966. McCarver had two RBI in that game, trumped by Molina’s three on Friday night.
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A salute to Molina is a nice thing. Molina catches a lot of innings. Despite being a slow runner, he steals bases if the other team does not hold him on; most catchers would not bother to do this. Though Yadier is not a glitzy hitter, he has a good eye, makes contact, and often goes to right, enabling him to be useful at the plate. He throws out stealers and keeps others close to their base, virtues that I do not recall with Simmons or McCarver. All told, Molina is a hard worker who makes a variety of contributions.
There seems to be a touch of delight in his play recently Dumbo. Like all the other acts that showed up stunk, so it was his show to steal.
Last night’s game shows wins can come down to small things. In recent games, Greene and Ryan both slid head-first (something I do not like). However, last night, Mather’s great slide was the difference. It would be nice if Pujols and Holliday each were slugging .650 and the Cards won easily. But its a hard game even for stars. TLR does a good job of trying to keep the whole roster involved, so different people can make contributions.
Jumbo, I was reading this thread again. I realize that I inadvertently spelled your name wrong. My habit of avoiding proof reads probably needs review. My apologies. WC
No problem, Westie, kind of you to clarify anyway.
Cardinals:
Schumaker 2b
Ludwick rf
Pujols 1b
Rasmus cf
Freese 3b
Molina c
Jay lf
Garcia p
Ryan ss
This isn’t a very important pitcher. Weather complicates things. I would guess that if we don’t hit a least one HR in this game, we are very vulnerable. If they hit 2 Hr’s we lose.
The biggest stress on Garcia is the lack of competitive support. He is feeling it. as others have.
Garcia did his job well.
Agreed.
Pujols last at bat deserves to be seen for what it was.
We will get after these rascals tomorrow. I’d like to see Greene at 2B, Stavinoha in LF batting cleanup, Mather in CF, LaRue catching.
Tough draw by Garcia…….Karsten…………Maybe Waino can shut them out till we score a run?
So many roll injuries. Ryan is unlikely to assemble as self image. Pujols needs a merciful injury so he can take 15 days off…..maybe bounce back. I’m worried about Shumaker. He doesn’t seem like he has any clue of the consequences of his approach. Lopez will help help I think.
We are finally at the point where pitching is being drug under the wheel. I guess we are lucky Huston is coming up……..maybe.
Anything can happen Jum…………..I guess.
A lot is riding on whether Lopez can bounce back. If Lopez can return, he can take over SS. That could help the offense.