SAN LUIS – At Busch Stadium on Wednesday was Puerto Rican Yadier Molina, who did the same routine that allowed him to stay in the game for 18 seasons. Unseen, he made his pre-game report against the Nationals alongside right-handed Adam Wainwright, with the pair signing up to play drums for the 277th time, moving closer to another record.
Game day for the Cardinals and therefore game day for Molina.
The Puerto Rican mask came out on Wednesday to host the 2,000th game of its career in the final game of the San Luis series against the Nationals, becoming the sixth receiver in history to reach that point.
Three Hall of Famers have done it. Three have added a few more hundred matches. Only his fellow countryman Iván Rodríguez has more Golden Gloves.
No one had ever done it with just one team.
“The way I put this record in context, like I do with Cal’s streak. [Ripken Jr.], is to see the years he has played. In Cal’s case, it’s every day and in Yadi it’s almost every day, ”said Cardinals manager Mike Shildt. “I don’t know which one is more impressive, but both brands are great.
“You put 2,000 in a context of 162 regular season games and you say, ‘If he can play in every game, how many years will it take?’ And you are impressed, especially when you see the evolution of the sport ”.
Evolution is the keyword. The Bayamón native has revealed his commitment to improving his game every year and evolving with his age, achieving some of the best results on the record so far this season. Molina came in on Wednesday, hitting .353 / .410 / .588 with two homeruns and a 178 OPS + in his first 10 games of 2021 as a starter.
It is no coincidence who receives Molina for his game of 2,000. He had his first day off on Tuesday and lined up on Wednesday to play drums with Wainwright. It was the 277th meeting for them – the sixth most in history.
They will be the quarters in six starts.
But that’s a record for another day.