NEW YORK — The Cardinals have been worried about Yadier Molina's shin, still tender from a foul ball he smacked off of it last week. Mets shortstop Jose Reyes only concerns himself with Molina's arm.
The Mets' leadoff hitter and past NL stolen base champ attempted to steal second base in the 10th inning of Wednesday's 13-inning game. It was a pivotal part of that extra-inning game as Reyes had a two-out single and tried to steal his way into scoring position as the winning run. Molina caught him by a beat and ended the inning with Luis Castillo at the plate.
"It's tough for me to steal against Molina," Reyes said Thursday morning. "I think I have only one stolen base against him. He's tough. He's one of the best in the business when it comes to throwing."
In truth, Reyes has more than one steal against Molina. The Mets' shortstop is five for nine against Molina, and he's seven for 14 overall against the Cardinals. Reyes once said that he kept score of his steals against Molina, even in spring training games, because it was a good measure for his jumps. In this week's "Sports Illustrated," the magazine took an informal poll of players and asked "Which catcher is hardest to steal on?"
The answer, overwhelmingly, was Molina. He got 58 percent of the vote. No other catcher received more than 9 percent.
"Even if you've got a jet... you've got Molina behind the plate and we've got a weapon," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's tough to run against ... for anyone."
DUNCAN GIVES A TIP
Pitching coach Dave Duncan trotted out to the mound during the 12th inning of Wednesday's game to offer new reliever Mike MacDougal his first lesson in Cardinals pitching: The righty was tipping his pitches. MacDougal was looking into his glove when he was about to throw an offspeed pitch and not glancing when it was a fastball.
After the visit, MacDougal retired all three batters he faced.
"His arm strength looked good," La Russa said. "He's not comfortable to face. Never has been."
MacDougal, who Wednesday became the first reliever since Troy Percival in 2007 to get a win in his first appearance as a Cardinal, got a second appearance Thursday and struggled with his delivery. He walked two and hit a third batter. The righty hit 95 mph with his fastball and offers the bullpen not only another hard thrower but a veteran who had more than 20 saves and was an All-Star. He is less than a season removed from hip surgery and seeking the consistency he had as Washington's closer a year ago.
"I just wanted to come here and play for Duncan," MacDougal said. The promotion "is what it's all about — get here. There's a chance to prove you belong."
SUPPAN SET FOR SATURDAY
Their relievers taxed by Wednesday's 13-inning victory, the Cardinals listed veteran starter Jeff Suppan as available in relief Thursday. The team did not need to use him, and Suppan is set to start Saturday against the Pirates. With Kyle Lohse continuing his rehab assignment that same day, the two are on mirror-image rotations and when Lohse is ready to return the Cardinals will, pending an injury or trade, have to eject either Suppan or former reliever Blake Hawksworth from the rotation.
EXTRA BASES
Matt Holliday went 0 for four, ending his hitting streak at 13 games. Holliday was 17 for 51 during the 13-game streak, which is the longest by a Cardinal this season. ... Cardinals second baseman Skip Schumaker got hit on the arm with a pitch Wednesday but said the bruising wasn't enough to inhibit his play Thursday. The infielder is already bothered by a jammed wrist. ... The Pirates will make their first appearance of the season in St. Louis tonight. It will be Pittsburgh's first visit to St. Louis in 449 days, the longest break between games involving two same-division clubs since the advent of division play in 1969, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The bureau exempts the strike-shortened 1981 season from that figure.
