SKY HARBOR — As many lineups as the St. Louis Cardinals have used in their first 10 games of the season — um, that would be … let’s count … 10 — one of the constants, when he starts, has been catcher Yadier Molina cast in a role of providing offensive depth.

Since Molina took over the starting job at catcher, manager Tony La Russa has been consistent in saying the Gold Glove receiver has hit in his career and would hit in the majors. In the playoffs of 2006, Molina had 19 hits to lead all of the majors. In 2008, he finished the season with an average better than .300 for the first time in his career. This season, so far, he’s continued his evolution as a hitter.

He’s driving in runs.

“Before, he had a good stroke and he’s always hit in the minor leagues,” La Russa said. “The last couple years he’s getting more hits, and now it’s a better at-bat with men in scoring position.”

Molina takes back-to-back two-RBI games into this afternoon’s game at Wrigley Field. He had two RBI singles in Wednesday’s game, including a clutch RBI single in the Cardinals’ five-run third inning. The previous day he had a two-run double to punctuate a fourth-inning rally. The RBIs may have been lost in his hitting line — he reached base in seven of 10 plate appearances against Arizona, including all five Wednesday — but if Molina continues chipping in by driving in runs he provides a depth of attack that could add to an offense that is without one of its bigger bats, Troy Glaus’.

Molina quickly knocked wood when asked about his start to the season, and especially the RBIs.

“I’m just trying to do my job,” he said. “Whatever it takes.”

The 10@10 is racing the clock here, but not in the sense of beating the 10 o’clock time stamp. No, there’s an early flight this morning out of Phoenix, so I’ll type until they tell me it’s time to board. To compensate, the 10@10 is going up early. So consider this the 5@5 (local time) or 7@7 or whatever I can get to. And quick-hits are going to be the rule. There are, after all, peanuts in my near future.

On my marks. Set. And we’re off.

1. Molina is currently tied with Ryan Ludwick with eight RBIs this season. Through only 10 games this season, Molina has already set a career-high for RBIs in the first month of the season. His previous totals were: 7 in 2008, 6 in 2007, 6 in 2006 and 5 in 2005.
2. Chris Carpenter returned to St. Louis late last night and he’ll meet with doctors today to determine the severity of his muscle strain. Carpenter’s absence from the Cardinals’ rotation leaves them without that two-headed ace of Adam Wainwright and Carpenter. (Wainwright starts today in Chicago.) But does it leave the Cardinals without a top-flight tandem in their rotation comparable to the other teams in the National League Central? That is the question posed in today’s poll.

   Who has the best tandem starters in the NL Central?

   • Cardinals … Adam Wainwright/Kyle Lohse
   • Cubs … Carlos Zambrano/Ryan Dempster (or Ted Lilly)
   • Brewers … Yovani Gallard/Jeff Suppan
   • Astros … Roy Oswalt/Wandy Rodriguez
   • Reds … Edinson Volquez/Aaron Harang
   • Pirates … Paul Maholm/Zach Duke

   View Results

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3. Five Cy Young winners are scheduled to pitch today around the majors, including a duel of Cys at the new billion-dollar ballpark in the Bronx: Cleveland’s Cliff Lee vs. former teammate and New York Yankees imported ace CC Sabathia. The other three: Toronto’s Roy Halladay, San Diego’s Jake Peavy and San Francisco’s Barry Zito.
4. The Cardinals have now won five consecutive games on Tax Day.
5. FARM REPORT: Low-A Quad Cities’ pitchers Hector Cardenas and Kevin Thomas combined to throw a no-hitter for the River Bandits’ first victory of the season. The duo held Beloit to just three baserunners and just two batters more than the minimum in a 3-0 victory. Lefty Cardenas pitched five no-hit innings. He threw just 47 pitches and struck out four. Thomas got the save with two shutout innings, and he coaxed double-play on his final pitch with the tying run at the plate. The no-hitter was part of a doubleheaders sweep for the River Bandits. It was also the first no-hitter for Quad Cities pitchers since August 12, 2001. … In the second game of the doubleheader, Arquimedes Nieto struck out six in his 4 1/3 innings. … Mitchell Boggs was scheduled to be the starter for Class AAA Memphis, and his promotion to the majors left the club in a scramble that contributed to a 9-3 loss to New Orleans. The Zephyrs hammered  six hits in the first inning off emergency starter Katsuhiko Maekawa. Outfielder/first baseman/catcher Nick Stavinoha hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot. … Shortstop Pete Kozma went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in High-A Palm Beach’s 5-2 victory.  Lance Lynn pitched four innings and allowed two hits and two walks as he also struck out three.
6. Over on ESPN’s MLB page, in the Baseball Tonight minute, the pundits discuss which team took the bigger hit Wednesday when it put its ace on the disabled list — the Cardinals with Chris Carpenter or Boston with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Most say the Cardinals. But he’s a reason only inferred. Boston took advantage of the pitching market to add some depth to their rotation. They signed Brad Penny and John Smoltz. Neither are sure-things when it comes to health. Penny has been riddled by injuries in recent seasons, and Smoltz is continuing a rehab trek as I type this. But Boston supplemented their rotation with these chances — and now may be better buttressed to handle the loss of a starter. While never with such household names, the Cardinals used to do a similar thing by signing six-year free agents or journeyman pitchers for depth. This is the route that brought the Cardinals a wide spectrum of contributors from Jeff Weaver to Tomo Ohka. The strategy now, as we’ve reported many times, is to lean more heavily on the in-house, homegrown pitchers. Should be a good litmus test of the approach. We can see how many innings the Red Sox get from their bargain-eye, veteran-leaning depth and the quality of innings the Cardinals get from their surfacing prospects.
7. I’m pounding away here in seat 20F as they ready the plane. A complete 10 seems unlikely.
8. What a series Brian Barden had in his return to the desert, and it goes well beyond his game-winning home run in the series opener Monday. An Arizona draft pick who was set loose from the team back in 2007, Barden was key to both Cardinals’ victories and he almost had a role in stealing the win on Tuesday back from the Diamondbacks. In Wednesday’s game, Barden entered as a defensive replacement at third base. La Russa calls it one of the most “difficult” duties in the game — come in late in a game and handle an infield position deftly. He that Wednesday with a short-hop backhand and throw to keep the leadoff hitter off base in the eighth inning. He similarly contributed defensively Tuesday when he raced in on a clear bunt play, pounced on the ball almost as soon as his made its second hop and spun to third to catch the lead runner. It was a wheel play that only worked because of Barden’s sense of timing and his no-look throw to Khalil Greene at the bag. And then there was the hit-and-run that was lost in the Ryan Ludwick kerfuffle. As the Cardinals rallied in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s eventual loss, Barden completed a successful hit-and-run to propel the inning. La Russa felt comfortable enough with Barden’s pat to put the H/R play on twice. He successfully singled through the hole on the left side, getting Joe Thurston to third base and leading to a two-run inning. Barden scored the tying run on Albert Pujols’ chopper to right field.
9. Two Cardinals take hitting streaks into this afternoons game at Wrigley Field. Chris Duncan, who came a home run shy of a cycle Wednesday when he was replaced for defensive purposes, has hit safely in seven consecutive games. Ludwick extended his hitting streak to 18 games, a career-high. It stretches back to last season. He is hitting .419 (26-for-62) in that span.
10. Phew. Made it.

Please return your seats to their upright positions and make sure your trays are up and latched. We have closed the aircraft door. Prepare for departure and cross-check.

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