HARDY, HARD CARDS
Despite a slew of injuries, resilient St. Louis still won 100 games and finished 1st in Central
ST. LOUIS — These irrepressible Cardinals just don’t give in.
They lost Adam Wainwright— a perennial Cy Young candidate — in April and Carlos Martinez — their best starting pitcher this season — in September.
Slugger Matt Holliday has been limited to 73 games, and catcher Yadier Molina, an All-Star his last seven seasons and a National League MVP candidate in two of the last four, will have to play with a splint to protect a torn ligament in his left thumb, an injury he suffered from a sliding Anthony Rizzo on Sept. 20. Eight days later, Stephen Piscotty was carried off the field on a stretcher after a scary collision in the outfield.
It’s enough to make one wonder how they won 100 games, but the Cardinals figured out a way. Without a bona fide staff ace, they’ll send playoff-tested John Lackey, 36, to the mound Friday in Game 1 of the NL Division Serieswith the Cubs almost by default, although Lackey’s 2.77 ERA is the stuff No. 1s can be made of.
If Molina, the field general, navigator of the pitching staff and heart and soul of the team, can strap it up, all will be right for the Cardinals despite everything else.
“I think he feels pain,” manager Mike Matheny said Thursday. “He just doesn’t recognize it or know how to define it.”
Molina is as resilient as they come. It shows, and the Cardinals follow his lead.
“Obviously, it was a serious injury,” Molina said. “The trainers and doctors did a great job. The pain’s going to be there. So I’mready to go.” That is music to Matheny’s ears. “We’re not shy talking about all the value he brings to our club,’’ Matheny said. “The tangibles. The intangibles. He was doing quite a bit even when he wasn’t cleared to play.’’
Matheny said he liked what he saw of Molina taking live swings and catching.
“Everything looked right,’’ Matheny said. “I don’t have a percentage for you [of where he’s at] except he looks good.’’
Molina (.270, four home runs, 61 RBI) hasn’t played since the day he reached and tagged out Rizzo, so there might be some rust after a nearly three-week layoff. If it turns out Molina isn’t well enough, Tony Cruz is the backup.
“He doesn’twant to go out there if he’s not able to contribute,’’ Matheny said. “Right now that’s not the situation, and we’re very fortunate.”
The Cardinals seem fortunate to have Wainwright available, and perhaps for more than an inning of relief. When he went down with a left Achilles tear, it was thought to be for the season. But the right-hander with the big curveball has had three one-inning outings since Sept. 30, allowing one run in the first one.
“Adam brings so much besides experience,’’ Matheny said. “And he has been a guy that’s finished games, too, in big stages. And so that’s just another plus.’’
So is seeing Piscotty, who suf- fered a concussion after colliding with Peter Bourjos, up and ready to go.
So it goes with these resilient Cardinals. All they seem to do is bounce back.
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