Molina Starts, Ends Five-Run Rally as Cardinals Stun Reds

By ESPN

Never has a 94 mile-per-hour fastball to the ribs felt so good for Yadier Molina as it did Monday night.

Molina started and ended a five-run rally in the ninth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals stunned the Cincinnati Reds 5-4. He was hit by a pitch from Ross Ohlendorf with the bases loaded to drive home the winning run. Instead of wincing, Molina pumped his fist and slid into first base.

"He walked by me and said we have lots of ice," manager Mike Matheny said. "So he wasn't concerned about being hit there."

Molina singled to start the inning against Reds closer Tony Cingrani. Matt Carpenter drove in two runs with a single, Stephen Piscotty singled home another and Matt Holliday walked to load the bases before Cingrani (2-4) was lifted for Ohlendorf, who walked Brandon Moss to tie it before hitting Molina.

"You can have the good approach, you can do all the things you want to, you can hit the ball hard, but it takes a little luck sometimes and you've got to get the pitches to do it with," Moss said. "And in the ninth inning we got a lot of pitches to do it with."

The comeback erased what had been a night of offensive futility for St. Louis through the first eight innings, as the Cardinals entered the last inning 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

"You trust in each other and that was one of those next men up," Matheny said. "There was nobody with that huge home run. It was just one right after the other whether it's a hit batsman, whether it's walks or whether it's a big hit. Play the game, good things can happen."

Seth Maness (2-2) pitched a perfect ninth to earn the win.

Monday, August 8 Scoreboard

Toronto 7, Tampa Bay 5

San Francisco 8, Miami 7 (F/14)

Atlanta 4, Milwaukee 3 (F/12)

Minnesota 3, Houston 1

St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 4

Texas 4, Colorado 3

Oakland 3, Baltimore 2

Seattle 3, Detroit 0

Los Angeles Dodgers 9, Philadelphia 4

Tuesday, August 9 Schedule (All Times Central)

Texas at Colorado, 2:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Washington, 6:05 p.m.

San Diego at Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Toronto, 6:07 p.m.

New York Yankees at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

Arizona at New York Mets, 6:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Chicago Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

Atlanta at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.

Houston at Minnesota, 7:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m.

Cincinnati at St. Louis, 7:15 p.m.

Baltimore at Oakland, 9:05 p.m.

Detroit at Seattle, 9:10 p.m.

Philadelphia at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.