Joe Girardi: Yadier Molina’s run of 2,000 games behind the plate for the Cardinals is an ‘absolutely incredible’ feat | Extra Innings

Remember the scene in Bull Durham when several players didn’t feel like playing the next day? “I can get us a rainout,” said Kevin Costner’s Crash Davis, who turned on the sprinklers at the ballpark in the middle of the night and flooded the field.

I thought about that yesterday.

The Phillies had three good reasons for not wanting to play the series finale at Citi Field. One, they were scheduled to face Jacob deGrom. Two, they scored four runs and had two extra-base hits in the three previous games against the Mets. And three, because of a doubleheader earlier this week, they were going to need a spot starter Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Indeed, a rainout was quite convenient.

Now, can they shake off a 1-5 road trip and get back to playing well at Citizens Bank Park, where they opened the season with a 5-1 mark?

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— Scott Lauber ([email protected])

Joe Girardi was 38 and nearing the end of the line in his 15-year career as a major-league catcher when he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and went to spring training in 2003.

That was when he got his first look at Yadier Molina.

Eighteen years later, Molina is still going strong. Two days ago, he became the sixth player to catch 2,000 games, joining Iván Rodríguez (2,427), Carlton Fisk (2,226), Bob Boone (2,225), Gary Carter (2,056), and Jason Kendall (2,025). But there’s something different about Molina’s achievement: He’s done it all with one team.

“To play 2,000 games at any point as a catcher, I don’t care how many uniforms you’re in, is absolutely incredible,” Girardi, the Phillies’ manager, said this week. “He’s a Hall of Fame player that has had a magnificent career.”

There was some doubt in the offseason over where Molina would play this year. The Cardinals let him get to free agency, and he reportedly sought a multiyear contract. He ended up right back in St. Louis, as expected, but on a one-year, $9 million contract.

Molina, who will turn 39 in July, is playing like he has something to prove. The nine-time Gold Glove winner has started all but one of the Cardinals’ 12 games behind the plate and notched a hit in 10 consecutive games. He’s 13-for-38 (.342) with two home runs and a .948 OPS.

None of it surprises Girardi. He played in only 16 games in 2003 for the Cardinals, who still had Mike Matheny behind the plate. But everyone knew Molina was the team’s catcher of the future.

Molina comes from a long line of catchers. His oldest brother, Bengie, had a 13-year major-league career and won a World Series with the Angels in 2002. His middle brother, Jose, was a reliable backup catcher for most of his 15-year career. But Yadi is the best of the bunch. He made his major-league debut in 2004 and averaged 122 starts per season from 2005 to 2019.

“I was there when he basically was first coming up and I saw him playing, and he was such a great defensive catcher at a young age,” Girardi said. “You could see at that early age how good of a player he was. I’m happy for him. I know how much he loves the game and takes pride in what he does.”

Yesterday’s game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader June 25 in New York.

The Phillies’ first five hitters — Andrew McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and Alec Bohm — batted .172 and struck out 33 times on the just-completed road trip. The Phillies will be happy to be home, as Bob Brookover writes.

Even before Adam Haseley left the Phillies for personal reasons, it wasn’t too soon to begin thinking about potential center-field trade options.

Harper plays hard on the field and keeps it real in his comments off it, both of which are qualities that Marcus Hayes finds admirable.

Tonight: Zach Eflin faces Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park, 7:05 p.m.

Tomorrow: Matt Moore vs. St. Louis’ Kwang Hyun Kim, 4:05 p.m.

Sunday: Aaron Nola stays on turn for finale vs. Cardinals, 1:05 p.m.

Monday: Gabe Kapler brings the red-hot Giants to town, 7:05 p.m.

Because of the pandemic, the Phillies played a regional schedule last season that featured only teams from the NL East and AL East. Their first 12 games this year were against the Braves and Mets, both division rivals.

So, tonight’s game against the Cardinals will end the Phillies’ streak of 81 consecutive games over 572 days against East Coast teams.

The Phillies haven’t played an NL Central team in 589 days, since Sept. 5, 2019 at Cincinnati. And they haven’t hosted a team from the NL Central in 597 days, since the Pirates were in town on Aug. 28, 2019.

Send questions by email or on Twitter @ScottLauber.

Question: Scott, when do you think Spencer Howard will be up permanently to stay in the big leagues? — @phillyphan96, via Twitter

Answer: Thanks, @phillyphan96, for the question. The Phillies think Howard can help this season. They just don’t know how much. He missed time in 2019 and again last year because of shoulder soreness, so his workload will be limited as he rebuilds arm strength.

At the end of spring training, Dave Dombrowski said Howard will be used this season as a reliever or an opener-style starter. Ideally, he would come up if Vince Velasquez has to enter the rotation or later in the season. But Howard’s situation is special. There isn’t much of a blueprint for how to maximize his potential impact.