ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals All-Star catcher Yadier Molina said he plans to return before the end of the regular season despite a thumb injury.

Molina sustained a slight tear of his left thumb ligament Sunday while tagging out Cubs’ player Anthony Rizzo in a key play at the plate in the Cardinals’ 4-3 win. Rizzo was thrown out by right fielder Jason Heyward on a no-out, bases-loaded fly for a double play in the eighth inning.

On Tuesday, Molina said he’ll wait five or six days before trying to catch again.

Last year, Molina tore a ligament in his right thumb when sliding and the surgery sidelined him more than seven weeks. When he had his left thumb examined Monday, he said he was relieved the injury wasn’t as severe.

“I was expecting worse,” Molina said. “Five, seven, 10 days, whatever it is, but no surgery. That was good news.”

Molina didn’t have his thumb protected Tuesday, and it appeared slightly swollen. He’s said he’s putting ice on it and waiting for it to heal.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Rookie Stephen Piscotty doubled in the go-ahead run in a two-run eighth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals turned it on late for a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Rookie Tommy Pham tripled off J.J. Hoover (8-2) to open the eighth and Jhonny Peralta’s one-out single tied it ahead of Piscotty’s drive off the wall in left-center.

Johnathon Broxton (3-5) allowed one hit the eighth and Trevor Rosenthal earned his 47th save in 49 chances to match the franchise record.

The Cardinals had a four-game NL Central lead over Pittsburgh before the opener of their final home stand. They’re a major league-best 51-24 at home and have the best overall record, too, at 94-56.

Reds rookie starter John Lamb held St. Louis scoreless for the second time this month, striking out six and allowing five hits in six-plus innings. Brandon Phillips had three hits including a first-inning RBI single.

Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia allowed a run on five hits in seven innings. He lacked control in the first but survived with minimal damage after throwing two wild pitches, walking two and allowing two hits, then retired the side in order the next four innings — once with the help of a double play.

WALKING MAN

Joey Votto drew his 136th walk, in the sixth, breaking his own franchise record set in 2013. Votto also singled in the first and is 5 for 6 against Garcia with a homer, double and three walks.

WEAK ARM FACTOR

Randal Grichuk’s arm was exposed in the sixth when Eugenio Suarez took second on a routine single but was tagged out when he over-slid the bag. Todd Frazier attempted to exploit Grichuk when he tagged on a routine fly out in the seventh but the Cardinals had moved Piscotty to left and Frazier was out at second for the third out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Billy Hamilton (shoulder) missed his sixth straight start.

Cardinals: Matt Holliday (quadriceps) has played in just 11 games since June 9 and has pinch hit twice since being activated from the DL on Sept. 15. He’s not ready to play outfield.

UP NEXT

John Lackey (12-9, 2.79) has a 2.23 ERA since June 15, fifth-best in the majors, but he’s 0-2 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against Cincinnati. Rookie Keyvius Sampson (2-5, 7.09) has qualified for the decision just four times in his first nine career starts.

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — Addison Russell’s fly ball in the eighth inning Sunday might be the most important play in baseball so far this year.

St. Louis star catcher Yadier Molina suffered a sprained left thumb on the play as the Cubs ran themselves out of late scoring chances and the Cardinals ended Chicago’s five-game winning streak and avoided a sweep with a 4-3 win Sunday.

The Cardinals moved six games ahead of Chicago in the NL Central. The Pirates beat the Dodgers on Sunday to remain four games behind St. Louis.

Molina was injured tagging out Anthony Rizzo on Russell’s sacrifice-fly attempt in the eighth. Right fielder Jason Heyward had the assist, throwing out Rizzo on the no-out, bases-loaded fly for a double play.

Molina said he’ll have an MRI on the thumb Monday.

“I’m concerned,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We’re anxious to hear what the doctor is going to report.”

Matheny went out to talk to Molina after the play, but Molina remained in the game for the remainder of the half inning before being replaced for pinch-hitter Matt Adams the next inning.

“It hurts (gripping the bat) a little bit,” Molina said. “I just couldn’t grip it.”

The Cubs ran into another out in the ninth. Starlin Castro led off with a single, but pinch-runner Quintin Berry was thrown out trying to steal second by Molina’s replacement, Tony Cruz.

Trevor Rosenthal then struck out Jorge Soler and got Kyle Schwarber to ground out for his 46th save in 48 chances.

Despite falling short in this one, the Cubs won four of their final six regular-season games against the Cardinals.

“I could not be more proud of our guys,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s obvious we’re playing on the same level as they are right now.”

St. Louis became the first team to clinch a postseason berth — its fifth straight — on Saturday when San Francisco lost.

The Cubs are comfortably ahead of the Giants for the final wild-card spot. And if they advance in the postseason, there’s a good chance they’ll face the Cardinals at some point.

“Obviously, the ultimate goal is through them,” Cubs starter Jon Lester said.

Carlos Martinez (14-7) pitched four-hit ball into the seventh and allowed two runs. Rookies Tommy Pham and Stephen Piscotty homered.

In the eighth, the Cubs loaded the bases on a single and two walks, then Cardinals reliever Jonathan Broxton walked in a run. Rosenthal entered and struck out Miguel Montero to end the threat.

Martinez retired 11 straight at one point and finished with six strikeouts. His only trouble came in the third, when he walked two then allowed a two-run single to Rizzo.

Lester (10-11) labored despite entering the game with a string of three solid starts in which he allowed four runs in 21 innings. He allowed four runs in six innings while striking out seven.

Lester was 1 for 2 at the plate. He’s 3 for 11 against St. Louis and 0 for 82 against all other teams.

Pham, the game’s second hitter, launched a drive down the left field line over the bleachers onto the street. It was his fifth homer of the season and fourth in his last six games. One out later, Piscotty lined a two-run shot to left.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 2B Kolten Wong, hit by two pitches Saturday, said he was not injured, but was upset “by the fact that not once, but twice, I got hit.”… OF Randal Grichuk, who was on the DL in August with an elbow injury, “is still limited” in the distance he can throw, according to Matheny.

Cubs: Maddon said reliever Pedro Strop was not available after the righty bailed the Cubs out of a ninth-inning jam Saturday and preserved a 5-4 win.

Maddon also delivered on a promised “day at the beach” to Strop for earning his third save. Before the game, a beach chair — arranged with bottles of beer in an ice bucket, a margarita and other paraphernalia — was set up in front of Strop’s locker.

“I wanted to really make it really emphatic that he was not playing,” Maddon said.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: LHP Jaime Garcia (9-5, 2.52) faces Cincinnati LHP John Lamb as St. Louis opens a three-game series and its final homestand against the Reds. Garcia is 6-1 with a 3.02 ERA since Aug. 1.

Cubs: RHP Jason Hammel (8-6, 3.73) takes the mound against Milwaukee RHP Wily Peralta (5-9, 4.41) as the Cubs continue their 10-game homestand. Although Hammel is 2-1 in his last five starts, he’s allowed 16 runs in 26 innings for a 5.54 ERA during the span.

— Associated Press —