{"id":26279,"date":"2017-04-07T09:36:58","date_gmt":"2017-04-07T09:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=26279"},"modified":"2017-04-07T09:36:58","modified_gmt":"2017-04-07T09:36:58","slug":"dumb-ask-substance-chest-protector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/sports\/dumb-ask-substance-chest-protector.html","title":{"rendered":"“Dumb” to ask about substance on chest protector"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t"Dumb" to ask about substance on chest protector<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/h2>\n

\n\t"Dumb" to ask about substance on chest protector:- Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and most everyone else at Busch Stadium laughed at the bizarre sight — a ball somehow stuck to his chest protector , in plain view of everybody except him.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBut the St. Louis star didn't think it was so funny when asked if a foreign substance helped the thing cling.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"Did I put anything on my chest protector to stick?" Molina said. "That's a dumb question."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhatever happened, it sure made for strange situation at Busch Stadium. And it was the key play that sent the Chicago Cubs past St. Louis 6-4 Thursday.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Cardinals led 4-2 in the seventh inning when things turned kooky.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPinch hitter Matt Szczur led off by striking out on a pitch from Brett Cecil that skipped in the dirt. The ball bounced into Molina's protector and smack, it stayed there.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"I don't know if they've come out with Velcro on the protectors or it's just a fuzzy baseball," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "It was definitely Velcro-ed to his chest."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAs Molina frantically looked for the ball, Szczur headed toward first base.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"I just took off running," Szczur said. "My first base coach told me it was stuck to his stomach. I thought, 'What?'"<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBy the time Molina looked down and discovered the ball, it was too late, Szczur was safe. The Gold Glove catcher could only smile and fans in sellout crowd roared — really, who'd ever seen such a thing?<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"I haven't seen that one before," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "I have no idea what happened there."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCatchers sometimes put pine tar somewhere on their uniforms, often around the shin guards, to help give them a better grip.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMolina was certain about one thing.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"That play changed everything," he said. "If we get that first out, everything changes."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tOnce Szczur reached on what was scored as a wild pitch, the Cardinals lost their grip on this game.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter a walk, Kyle Schwarber hit a go-ahead, three-run homer. The Cubs added another run later in the inning against Cecil (0-1).<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSchwarber, who injured his knee in an outfield collision in the third game last year and missed the rest of the regular season, enjoyed the big hit.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"We celebrated, I made it past the third game this year," Schwarber said. "I turned the horseshoe around. I turned it up so I could make it through."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe World Series champions won two in a row after losing to the Cards on opening night.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJohn Lackey (1-0) threw six solid innings against his former team and new Cubs closer Wade Davis got his second save.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAddison Russell drove in a pair of runs on groundouts for Chicago.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSt. Louis starter Lance Lynn went 5 1-3 innings in his first appearance since Oct. 2, 2015. The right-hander, who'd been out since having Tommy John surgery, gave up two runs and five hits.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSLUMP<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNL MVP Kris Bryant went 0 for 4 and struck out twice. He also walked and scored a run. The Cubs slugger is 0 for 13 this season.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTRAINER'S ROOM<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCubs: LHP Brian Duensing remains on the 10-day disabled list with back spasms. He is eligible to come off on Sunday.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCardinals: OF Stephen Piscotty did not start, but came into the game as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning. Piscotty was hit in the head by a throw from INF Javier Baez while sliding into the plate in a 2-1 loss on Tuesday.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tUP NEXT<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCubs: LHP Brett Anderson will face Milwaukee RHP Jimmy Nelson in the first of a three-game set in Milwaukee on Friday. Anderson will be making his Cubs debut after eight seasons with Oakland (2009-2013), Colorado (2014) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2015-16)<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCardinals: RHP Mike Leake will face Cincinnati LHP Amir Garrett when St. Louis concludes its season-opening homestand with the first of a three games on Friday. Leake has won 10 or more games in four of the last six seasons.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSource:- https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/mlb\/2017\/04\/06\/stuck-out-ball-clings-to-molina-cubs-rally-past-cardinals\/100140738\/<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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