CINCINNATTI -- Knowing Matt Carpenter's secret salsa is reserved for teammates, Joey Votto got creative this week when trying to get a taste of Carpenter's white-hot stretch.
Votto's chance came Monday, when Carpenter met him at first base after singling in the third of an eventual 2-1 Cardinals loss. The jovial reunion of two of the National League's most kindred hitters then turned mischievous: Votto tried to snatch Carpenter's shin guard before he could hand it to first base coach Oliver Marmol.
"I tried to rub it all over me to get something out of it," Votto told MLB Network.