Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina each finish legendary careers with hits, however Cardinals come up quick vs. Phillies

The St. Louis Cardinals‘ loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series on Saturday evening spelled an finish not solely to their 2022 season but additionally to the careers of two franchise legends and future Corridor of Famers. Barring unlikely adjustments of coronary heart, Yadier Molina, No. 4, and Albert Pujols, No. 5, will now retire. 

Molina spent his complete profession, all 19 years of it, in a Cardinals uniform. He gained two World Collection (alongside Pujols); made the All-Star workforce 10 instances; gained 9 Gold Gloves; caught greater than 18,000 innings; and tallied greater than 2,000 hits. He is within the dialogue for greatest defensive catcher ever to play the sport. 

As for Pujols, 12 of his 22 seasons got here in St. Louis, and it was in St. Louis that he established himself as one of many nice right-handed batters of all-time. His 2022 reunion after being away from the Cardinals a decade, could have seemed like idle nostalgia on each side. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a crucial addition by the Cardinals en path to profitable the NL Central. Pujols authored one in all his greatest seasons in years and in addition, in opposition to all preseason expectations, surpassed 700 residence runs for his profession. Towards that backdrop of excellence and tenure, the duo now steps away. 

Pujols in his remaining sport loved a two-hit evening, and in his remaining look within the eighth inning he laced a two-strike single down the road that will’ve been a double had Kyle Schwarber not performed the rebound completely. At that time, Pujols was lifted for a pinch runner and acquired yet one more deafening standing ovation. 

Pujols represented the potential tying run – so name that remaining hit a clutch one – however the Cardinals had been unable to transform. In his final act as a major-league participant, Pujols succeeded. 

With two outs within the ninth, Corey Dickerson blooped a single to the other subject to carry Molina to the plate one final time, this time because the potential tying run. Like Pujols, he got here by means of. Molina dumped a two-strike single into proper to place runners on the corners. Molina, too, was lifted for a pinch runner and feted enthusiastically, simply as Pujols was. In an additional little bit of symmetry, the Cardinals weren’t in a position to take benefit. In his final act as a major-league participant, Molina succeeded. 

“That is my residence. St. Louis is my residence,” Molina instructed reporters after the sport. “I respect all of the followers for all of the assist over a few years. … I am blessed and comfortable the best way my profession went.”

Molina was additionally requested concerning the prospect of by no means once more being teammates with Pujols. “I will be his brother endlessly,” he said. 

Subsequent for the brothers can be their numbers on the left subject wall of Busch Stadium, after which comes Cooperstown. The work of getting there and incomes that’s now carried out.