TEXAS LEAGUE

Molina gives boost in Cardinals' victory

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina went 3 for 3 with 2 doubles, an RBI and scored 2 runs in a rehabilitation assignment Thursday night with Springfield in the Cardinals' 5-4 victory over the Arkansas Travelers in front of an announced crowd of 8,858 at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.

Molina, who tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb July 9, was playing his second game in Springfield on Thursday.

Molina doubled in the bottom of the first, bringing Greg Garcia home for a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Molina scored on Cody Stanley's sacrifice fly for a 2-0 advantage.

The Travs tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the second inning on Adam Melker's two-run double. They took a 3-2 lead in the top of the third when Mike Bianucci homered to left field, his 11th of the season.

Springfield scored three runs in the bottom of the third to take a two-run lead. Molina led off the inning with a double and scored four batters later when Jonathan Rodriguez was hit by a pitch from Travs starter Orangel Arenas (6-8). Alex Mejia's two-run single gave the Cardinals a 5-3 lead.

Drew Heid scored on a wild pitch from Springfield reliever Seth Blair in the seventh to pull the Travs within 5-4, but Jeremy Berg struck out Bianucci to end the inning.

Bianucci, Melker, and Maikol Gonzalez all had two hits for Arkansas, which outhit Springfield 9-8.

Sports on 08/29/2014

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