NEU » e barrage of doubles with a leadoff double

Missing his first All-Star Game since 2008 was a tough blow for Yadier Molina.Even though the 34-year-old catcher welcomed the respite, he was deeply disappointed in his performance in the first half of the season with the St. Louis Cardinals.I hate to look bad, said Molina in a recent conversation with ESPN.com. I hate losing. Im a bad loser.When I am performing poorly and the team is losing, I feel terrible. I am a very proud man in what I do. I want to be the very best. And sometimes thats not going to happen. In baseball, we play too many games, there are so many moments when you are going to fail, but I simply dont like to lose.And struggle the Cardinals?did.St. Louis finished the first half barely four games above .500 (46-42), seven games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs?and far from the team that was 56-33 at the break in 2015 and went on to win 100 games on its way to securing a third consecutive National League Central title.Molinas batting average in his first 82 games in 2016 was .259 with only 28 RBIs, evidence of the much-noticed decline his offense has shown his past two injury-ridden seasons.Nonetheless, Bengie and Jose Molinas younger brother said he paid no attention to the multiple criticisms writing him -- and the Cardinals -- off.We are a good team that never gives up, Molina said. We have had a lot of injuries, players that we have missed, but every time we put someone in the lineup, whatever their last name is, they give their best.We are a team of tradition and know how to win. It hasnt been an easy season for us, yet here we are.It has been a tale of two halves for Molina, and his resurgent offense has gone hand in hand with the Cardinals re-establishing themselves as solid wild-card playoff contenders.Molina said he has no explanation for his remarkable improvement, beyond feeling healthier. With a batting average of .357 and 13 doubles and two home runs in his past 34 games, Molina has had the best offensive production among all catchers that have played at least 20 games in the second half of the season.I play ball the same way every day, Molina said. Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they dont. But I have been playing baseball for a long time, and the key is always making adjustments. And each game its different.I also have felt healthier lately, better than the first couple of months. I had two surgeries back in December. A lot of people dont realize that. It has taken a while for my hand to feel 100 percent. I cant say Im at a 100 percent, because I really am not, but it has felt better, and that helped me perform better.The Cards currently hold a 1? game lead over the Miami Marlins for the National Leagues second wild-card slot after losing two out of three games to the New York Mets. But while Molina certainly has a sense of acceptance to the inevitability of the Cubs being crowned divisional champs, he is quick to point out that making it into the postseason is the Cardinals only goal, regardless of how they get there.Chicago is playing really well, but there is nothing written in baseball, said the eight-time Gold Glove Award winner and four-time Platinum Glove Award winner. I have gone through many moments, played in World Series, and weve been back 10 games or 11 games with 20 days left in the season, and we have come from behind to reach the playoffs.Winning the division is one of those things that one would like to do, but the mentality of every player is to make it to the playoffs. Anything can happen in the playoffs. We won 100 games last season and lost in the first round. Winning the division doesnt guarantee you anything. It doesnt guarantee that you will go to the World Series. All that matters is that you get to play in the postseason -- and there, anything can happen.Ilya Kovalchuk Jersey . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Oilers dealt long-time sniper Ales hemsky to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in 2014 and a third-rounder in 2015. Alec Martinez Kings Jersey . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. http://www.kingsauthentic.com/authentic-jeff-carter-kings-jersey/ . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. Adrian Kempe Kings Jersey . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. Dave Taylor Jersey . Aduriz headed home Markel Susaetas cross in the sixth minute to open the scoring at San Mames Stadium. He bettered that with a long-range blast that went in off the goal frame in the 18th, and converted a penalty in the 72nd after Diego Mainz was sent off for fouling Aduriz with only the goalkeeper to beat. MINNEAPOLIS -- Thanks to the focus of guys like Jim Johnson and the toughness of Manny Machado, the Baltimore Orioles dont play like the youngest team in their division. Machado had a tiebreaking RBI single in a three-run 10th inning as the Orioles rallied for a 9-6 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Machado -- who stayed in the game after fouling a ball hard off his ankle in the fifth -- rolled a single into right field that scored Chris Dickerson and broke a 6-all tie. Nick Markakis added a sacrifice fly and Adam Jones an RBI double to cap the scoring in the 10th. "I told you many times, thats a mature group," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Even though its the youngest team in our division, they stay within each other and do what they do." Tommy Hunter (3-1) didnt allow a run in 2 1-3 innings. Jim Johnson pitched a scoreless bottom of the 10th for his 35th consecutive save -- dating back to last season -- to set an Orioles franchise record. Johnson started getting questions about the save streak at the end of last season. He treated questions about finally setting the record with a shrug, the same way he answered when the streak began. "I was just thinking about watching us chip away," Johnson said. "Its not really anything Im real focused on. Its great, but our ultimate goal is the team record at the end of the year. Personal achievements are second." Anthony Swarzak (1-1) allowed all three runs in the 10th. Twins starter Mike Pelfrey had a 6-0 lead in the sixth inning and appeared to be cruising to his second straight win before Baltimore started smacking doubles all over the field. "Youve got to remember the offence over there, too," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Thats a heck of a baseball team over there, and they can run some hitters up there. They can ambush you. They got some big, clutch hits. Thatts kind of what theyre known for.ddddddddddddquot; The Orioles hit four doubles off Pelfrey in the sixth to make it 6-3 and added two more off reliever Josh Roenicke in the seventh to tie the score. "Theyre good. Theres a reason theyre in first place in the AL East," Pelfrey said. Chris Daviss two-bagger off the scoreboard wall in right-centre field scored Nick Markakis and made it 6-6. Roenicke started the seventh and allowed three runs and four hits and only recorded one out. "Its almost like we prefer to play from behind," Baltimore outfielder Chris Dickerson said. "As soon as it got to 6-3, we knew it was a different ballgame." Markakis started the barrage of doubles with a leadoff double in the sixth and finished with two hits and two RBIs. Joe Mauer had three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota, which had won four of its previous five. Adam Jones and Davis each had three hits for Baltimore. Orioles starter Jason Hammel allowed six runs over four innings and failed to win on the road for the first time this season. NOTES: SS Pedro Florimon, who left Thursdays game in the bottom of the seventh inning because of a tight right hamstring, was not in the starting lineup but told Gardenhire his leg was feeling better. ... Orioles LHP Tsuyoshi Wada, who had Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his elbow last May 11 and spent his entire first season in the majors on the DL, struck out 10 batters in seven no-hit innings in an extended spring training game in Sarasota, Fla. Showalter said Wada would start a rehab assignment next week. ... RHP Steve Johnson will come off the DL to start Saturday in his season debut for the Orioles in place of RHP Miguel Gonzalez, who is out with a blister on his thumb. For the Twins, RH Vance Worley (0-4, 6.95 ERA) will take the mound looking for his first win in 13 starts since last Aug. 1 for the Phillies. ' ' '