LOS ANGELES — The one constant for the Cardinals is Yadier Molina behind the plate. He is the difference-maker in this series and for his team.
Sure, the Mets are hopeful young Travis d’Arnaud can carry the catching load. The Yankees, meanwhile, tried to cut corners at catching in 2013 and it cost them dearly.
Watch Molina catch the first two NLCS games and guide a young, strong-armed staff and you come away seeing what a difference he makes, how the Cardinals have a huge advantage with Molina running the show.
Molina is a true MVP in every way.
It’s not just the assembly line of young power pitching that sets the Cardinals apart: it’s the way Molina runs the game. The Cardinals are hitting only .134 in the NLCS, but lead the Dodgers 2-0 because of the job Molina has done, getting the most from his pitchers and the way he guided youngsters Joe Kelly and Michael Wacha in the first two games.
The Cardinals are looking to go up 3-0 in the NLCS Monday night at Dodger Stadium with ace Adam Wainwright on the mound against Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu.
Carlos Beltran has been around 16 years and has never seen a catcher do the things Molina does. Ask him how impressed he is with Molina and Beltran’s eyes light up.
“Unbelievable,’’ Beltran said. “You cannot put into words how much he means to this ballclub and how well he prepares and the type of hitter he has become. He is a true leader, man. He just gives the pitcher so much confidence that it’s fun.
“I would love to be a pitcher and work with him, throw any pitch in any count, it’s fun,’’ Beltran said. “Look at [lefty reliever Kevin] Siegrist, he bounced a ball and [Molina] called it again, throw it again. As a pitcher, when you see that, you’re like, ‘Man, I’ve got to trust this guy.’ ’’
Having Molina catch a young pitcher is like one of those “trust falls’’ where the participant falls backwards and counts on being caught.
Cardinal pitchers said the trust they have in Molina is off the charts.
When Wacha got into a huge jam in the sixth inning of Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Dodgers at Busch Stadium, Molina made multiple visits to the mound to settle him down.
Molina said his mound visits carry the same message: “Keep breathing, stay focused,’’ he explained. “Stay focused on your game because we have a good offense and we are going to score runs.
“Realize the speed of the game and slow it down.’’
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a former catcher, knows what a bonus it is to have Molinia running the show.
“He has the ability to make in-game decisions and adjustments,’’ Matheny said.
As for Monday night’s plan of attack — even though the veteran Wainwright went into great detail on Sunday about the day 10 years ago he was traded from the Braves to the Cardinals, and how he was in Gainesville, Ga. that day “sitting on the fireplace asking my future father-in-law for his daughter’s hand in marriage’’ and how “the whole city where I live was crying,’’ because of the trade — he would not divulge any of the Cardinals’ game plan against the Dodgers, who are hitting .184 this NLCS.
Wainwright smiled and said, “I’ve talked to Yadier, and Yadier and I will get together and come up with a master plan.’’
You can be sure it will be another beauty.