NLCS notes: Injured Yadier Molina hopes to play in Game 3
SAN FRANCISCO — Yadier Molina swung, then he winced. Pain shot through his left side.
“That was the worst feeling of my career,” he said. “That was the worst pain I ever feel.”
And what did it feel like?
“Like someone nailed you with a knife,” he said.
Molina is the catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, perhaps the most critical position player in the National League. He had strained an oblique muscle, a rib cage injury that generally takes weeks to heal. When he took that swing on Sunday, he thought his season was over.
And what did he think on Monday?
“It’s not over,” he said.
Not without a fight, anyway. Molina played catch on Monday, an off day in the NL Championship Series. He will try to swing a bat on Tuesday, before Game 3 of the NLCS, with the Cardinals and San Francisco Giants tied at one game apiece.
St. Louis Manager Mike Matheny mentioned the possibility of using Molina as a defensive replacement, but the more important issue for the Cardinals is this: If they remove Molina from their NLCS roster because of injury, they could not reinstate him on a World Series roster.
“You never wish any ill will on anybody,” Giants pitcher Tim Hudson said, “but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if he’s not in the lineup for a few days.”
Matheny would not say which of the Cardinals’ backup catchers — A.J. Pierzynski or Tony Cruz — would start Tuesday. The Cardinals were 60-46 this season when Molina started, 30-26 when he did not.
Their earned-run average, by catcher: Molina 3.20, Cruz 4.13, Pierzynski 4.16.
Flashback
On Tuesday, for the second time in his career, the Cardinals’ John Lackey will start a postseason game in San Francisco.
The first time came in the 2002 World Series, as a rookie with the Angels’ championship team.
“Main thing I remember about that was I got a hit here,” Lackey said. “Got my first hit.”
Indeed he did, a single off Kirk Rueter, in what was Lackey’s first major-league at-bat.
He faced Barry Bonds six times in that World Series, walking him intentionally four times.
“Wouldn’t you?” Lackey said.
Bonds had 46 home runs that season and 68 intentional walks. The Giants’ leaders in those categories this season: catcher Buster Posey with 22 home runs and shortstop Brandon Crawford with 10 intentional walks.
“No offense to anybody in their lineup,” Lackey said, “but they don’t got Barry Bonds.”
Twitter: @BillShaikin
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