MLB says no violation in ball that stuck to Molina

pitch in the dirt. The ball skipped up and stuck to Molina’s protector by the time he located it, Szczur was safely at first base.

The Cubs turned their good fortune into a four-run rally and a win at Busch Stadium.

“I really don’t have any explanation for it,” Cecil said. “I don’t use any foreign substances. You guys saw Yadi spinning around and the ball didn’t even come off.”

“I think if I was throwing with something that sticky, I would be throwing 45-foot dirt balls and that’s not the case. Your guess is as good as mine,” he said.

Cardinals backup catcher Eric Fryer said he wasn’t sure what happened, either.

“I thought it got stuck underneath or something, because he was down there looking around,” Fryer said. “You’re always looking on the ground because it’s normally not going to get stuck underneath there or anywhere else. It’ just one of those crazy plays.”

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a former catcher himself, couldn’t explain it a day later.

“I still haven’t talked to anybody about that whole thing yesterday,” Matheny said. “I don’t know if you can throw something on the ball and make that happen. I don’t know if you put liquid nails on the ball and make that happen. I have nothing to tell you.”

Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said he’s seen the ball get wedged underneath chest protectors, but never stuck on them.

“I didn’t know if they were using a Velcro ball and a Velcro chest protector,” Price said. “You just try to figure out how can it stick. There’s no loose pieces to a baseball to get wedged into a crease. To be honest with you, I didn’t research it.”

JEFF CURRY/AP Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina looks on after a ball gets stuck to his chest protector during Thursday’s game against the Cubs.