Following a 38-game stretch in which he tallied three extra-base hits in 135 at-bats, Molina has looked rejuvenated while extending his on-base streak to 22 games. It's the longest such streak by a Cardinals catcher since Gene Tenace reached safely in 35 consecutive games from 1981-82.
"[I'm] just encouraging him to keep doing what he's doing," manager Mike Matheny said. "Even that ball that he hit out of the park [on Tuesday], it was a ball he really fought to stay inside. So that's nice to see. His strength looks good."
Keeping Molina fresh will continue to be key for the Cardinals, who have played most of the season with their expected backup catcher, Brayan Pena, on the disabled list.