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| − | + | ST. LOUIS 鈥?They didn鈥檛 exactly win it for . If only because they didn鈥檛 know the extent of their prominent catcher鈥檚 injury or how much time he鈥檒l miss. | |
| − | + | So the resilient Cardinals won it for themselves, won it for all the reasons a team needs when facing a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. They wouldn鈥檛 have liked their chances if the Giants鈥?bullpen closed out Game 2, but they like 鈥檈m now, thanks to punch-in-the-gut solo homers in each of the final three innings. | |
| − | + | Cardinals, 5-4. Suddenly, a Busch Stadium celebration and happy flight. | |
| − | + | 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to go into another stadium, especially one like San Francisco鈥檚, with that big crowd, down two games,鈥?St. Louis third baseman said. 鈥淭o find a way to tie the series and do it in the fashion we did, there certainly can be some momentum.鈥? | |
| − | + | When Molina was escorted off the field in the sixth inning with a strained left oblique, it was easy to speculate he鈥檇 be shelved the rest of the NLCS, if not the World Series if the Cardinals get that far. Giants fans know all about a messed-up oblique. had one and appeared in only his second game Sunday since Aug. 31. | |
| − | + | The Cardinals can deactivate Molina from the NLCS roster, but that would make him ineligible for the World Series. His far-ranging value could make it a tough call for management to ditch him for the rest of October, unless he鈥檚 obviously too injured to return to the field anytime soon. | |
| − | + | In which case, this team will ride . With a side of . | |
| − | + | 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know much more about it right now,鈥?manager said of Molina鈥檚 injury. 鈥淗e鈥檚 out getting some looks from the doctors. We鈥檒l know later, but it didn鈥檛 look really good.鈥? | |
| − | + | So bad, in fact, that Molina couldn鈥檛 move out of the batter鈥檚 box. He hit a one-hopper to second baseman that turned into an easy double play. Matheny said Molina felt tightness in the abdominal area in his first at-bat. He had singled (his 89th postseason hit, most in club history, one ahead of ) and sacrificed. | |
| − | + | As it turned out, Molina鈥檚 absence might have aided the Giants in their ninth-inning rally. Down 4-3, a strike away from a loss, the Giants tied it when scored from second base on 鈥檚 ball-four wild pitch that bounced in front of the plate. Cruz, who replaced Molina, failed to stop the ball and momentarily lost sight of it as it popped away. | |
| − | + | Molina has won six straight Gold Gloves. Maybe he would have made a play. Maybe the Cardinals would have won 4-3. No one in the home clubhouse was sweating how the game was decided. Everyone was reveling in the late-game homers, 鈥?off in the seventh, 鈥?off Hunter Strickland in the eighth and 鈥檚 game-ender off in the ninth. | |
| − | + | The Cardinals were last in the league in regular-season homers but have 11 in six playoff games, accounting for 16 of their 23 runs. | |
| − | + | 鈥淲hen I was in the dugout, A.J. stopped me and said, 'Base hit, base-hit swing,鈥欌€?Wong said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to try for a home run. After I hit it ... the celebration, I went looking for him. 'A.J., A.J., where are you at? Is that good enough for you?鈥欌€? | |
| − | + | On the eve of the series, I asked Carpenter what Molina means to the Cardinals, and he said, 鈥淗e鈥檚 hard to replace. I鈥檓 sure everybody in the room would feel their role is irreplaceable, but he might be the one guy that truly hits home with. You lose him, the whole dynamic of this team changes.鈥? | |
| − | + | Now what? | |
| − | + | 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 say enough of what he means to the team,鈥?Carpenter said Sunday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly disappointing not having him out there. Obviously, that鈥檚 not ideal, but we鈥檝e got a lot of guys stepping up right now.鈥? | |
| − | + | Cruz is used to filling in for Molina, who injured his thumb July9 and didn鈥檛 play again until Aug. 29. 鈥淵ou see Yadi go down, he鈥檚 our leader,鈥?Cruz said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been fighting all year. Somebody鈥檚 got to take advantage of the opportunity.鈥? | |
| − | + | He added, 鈥淒on鈥檛 count Yadi out.鈥? | |
| − | + | The Cardinals didn鈥檛 count themselves out, and they feel quite good about themselves heading into Tuesday鈥檚 Game3 in San Francisco, Molina or no Molina. | |
| − | + | is a staff writer. E-mail: . Twitter @JohnSheaHey.<p>Related Articles:</p><ul><li><a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com/celine-doctor-frame-42>Celine Doctor Frame Bags</a></li><li><a href=http://www.buycelinebags.com/celine-luggage-43>Celine Luggage</a></li><li></li></ul> | |
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