Yada Yada Yadier

LOS ANGELES – Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina heard that his team is the favorite against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

He’s heard all about how pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright should dominate the Dodgers in the first two games of the series and how many believe his Cardinals will make it all the way to the World Series.

He’s had enough. Molina doesn’t want to hear it anymore. It’s time for action, not words.

“In baseball, you never know what is going to happen,” he said. “What you see on paper isn’t always what happens when you are playing between the lines.  We have good pitchers but they have to pitch well. It’s all about what happens on the field.”

On the field, Carpenter and Wainwright combined for 36 wins during the regular season. Carpenter is 5-` with a 2.53 ERA in eight playoff games. Wainright pitched 9 2/3 scoreless innings during the 2006 postseason.

Pitching matters. But Molina said the secret to winning in the postseason is really not a secret at all.

“The secret to winning a playoff series is doing things the right way,” Molina said. “You have to do the little things. You can’t make errors. You have to execute hit and runs. You have to pitch. If we do all those things, we have a chance to win.”

During the regular season, Molina hit .293 with six home runs and 54 RBIs. He has been battling a sore left knee but is expected to play the entire series.

 ”This is what we have been waiting for,” he said. “We’re physically and mentally ready for this battle against the Dodgers. We know they are a really good team and it’s going to be a tough series.”