CHICAGO -- Yadier Molina had a simple goal for his ninth-inning at-bat with the bases loaded and the score tied on Sunday. "I was looking not to strike out," he said. After fouling off some tough two-strike pitches, Molina hit a ground-ball single up the middle to drive in two runs and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped out of an offensive funk with a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs. "I got a little lucky that they were playing me to pull," Molina said. "It was a good at-bat. I was able to put the ball in play and good things happened." The defending National League champions had lost four of five to fall a game below .500. The Cardinals scored all their runs with two outs. Molina, moved into the No. 2 spot to jump start the lineup, was 0 for 4 before coming through in the ninth. But it was a wild pitch in the seventh inning that allowed the Cubs to tie the score at 3 that had Molina more frustrated. The pitch from reliever Carlos Martinez was in the dirt and trickled through Molinas legs, allowing Luis Valbuena to score. "I was there," Molina said. "I dont know. Its one of those things. I was ready for it and the ball still goes through my legs." Kevin Siegrist (1-1) got the win in relief, while Trevor Rosenthal picked up his eighth save in as many opportunities despite a scare in the ninth inning. Hector Randon (0-1) took the loss for the Cubs, who were attempting to win four straight games for the first time since July. While Cardinals manager Mike Matheny had looked for Molina, one of his hottest hitters, to get the offence going, it was a couple of struggling batters at the bottom of the lineup that got things started early. With two outs in the second inning and Jhonny Peralta on first base, Randal Grichuk drilled a triple into the right-centre field gap for a 1-0 lead. Mark Ellis, who went 3 for 4, followed with a double to left-centre to make it 2-0. Both Grichuk (.167) and Ellis (.143) entered hitting well below .200. St. Louis stretched the lead to 3-0 in the third as Matt Adams doubled home Matt Holiday. The Cubs pulled within 3-2 in the fourth with some clutch two-out hitting. With one out, Ryan Kalish singled and John Baker walked. After a groundout moved the runners to second and third, Cubs starter Jason Hammel singled to right to drive in both. Molinas go-ahead single to centre came on the sixth pitch of the at-bat from Randon. "I thought I made a good pitch today, but something happened," Randon said. Molina seemed more relieved that the wild pitch wasnt a factor than he drove in the game-deciding runs. "(Molina) does a good job of not wearing his emotions and how frustrating that is for him," Matheny said. "Its hard to count the number of balls he keeps in front of him, the number of runs he saves. Its something we dont take for granted." Valbuena doubled in a run with two outs in the ninth to make it 5-4, but Rosenthal got Anthony Rizzo to ground out to end the game. "Guys kept grinding it out," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "We just fell a little short." NOTES: The ESPN broadcast team of Dan Shulman and John Kruk worked from the bleachers. ... While making a rehab start Sunday with Double A Springfield, LHP Jaime Garcia (shoulder) was hit by a pitch on the left elbow and left after two innings and 28 pitches. "I think they went in and took precautionary X-rays," Matheny said. "I havent heard anything back yet." ... In the same game, RHP Jason Motte threw a scoreless inning, striking out three, in his first rehab outing. ... Rizzo entered with a .429 on-base percentage, which was fifth-best in the National League. ... The Cards open a series in Atlanta on Monday, with RHP Shelby Miller (3-2) facing RHP Aaron Harang, while the Cubs host the crosstown White Sox with RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-3) going up against LHP Jose Quintana (1-2). Clay Matthews Womens Jersey . "If we could score a six in every game, obviously I would be pretty excited," Jones said. "Its a long week but a short week. Its a pretty short round robin from what were used to so you dont want to get behind the eight ball early. Clay Matthews Packers Jersey .com) - Demario Richard posted four touchdowns and Kweishi Brown came up with a key late interception as No. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/El...Packers-Jersey/. - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club. Dexter Williams Youth Jersey . The thinking at the time was Clowney could have already been promised he would be selected first overall by the Houston Texans, therefore negating any need to meet with any other teams. The plot took another twist this week. Dave Robinson Packers Jersey .J. Ellis hit an RBI single in the ninth inning, Hanley Ramirez hit a tape-measure, three-run homer in the first against Cliff Lee and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Saturday night.MELBOURNE, Australia - For more than four hours, American qualifier Tim Smyczek fought desperately for every point against Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open, chasing down everything the 14-time Grand Slam champion threw at him.Then, with No. 3-ranked Nadal serving at 6-5 in the fifth set, he gave his opponent a break.A spectator shouted just as the Spaniard was about to make contact with his first serve, causing him to miss long. As Nadal glared into the stands, Smyczek motioned that he should retake the first serve. Nadal did — and won the point and the second-round match 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 7-5.Smyczek won Nadals respect.What he did at the end of the fifth is just amazing, he said. Very few players can do that after four hours something of a match, at 6-5, love-30. So I just will say thanks to him because hes a great example what he did today.Smyczek, a soft-spoken 27-year-old from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, never questioned doing the sporting thing.I dont know if the guy didnt know (Nadal) was tossing the ball or not, but it clearly bothered him, he said, looking down and smiling sheepishly. You know, I thought it was the right thing to do.Ranked 112th in the world, Smyczek had never beaten a top-10 player; his previous best win was against No. 19 Jurgen Melzer at a tournament in Delray Beach, Florida, in 2012.He toils for much of the season on the second-tier Challenger circuit, playing in front of sparse crowds in towns like Napa, California, and Charlottesville, Virginia.dddddddddddd He had to survive three rounds of qualifying just to make the Australian Open main draw.Against Nadal in front of 15,000 fans at Rod Laver Arena, though, the American played without fear, racing out to a two-sets-to-one lead behind his pin-point serve — he finished with 15 aces — and a huge forehand that he used to hit 28 of his 64 winners.At one point, with the Spaniard ailing due to the humidity and fatigue, he even entertained the thought he might actually win.I had a good game plan going in. The most important thing I thought was for me to try and stay within myself, he said. I didnt really struggle with nerves too much just because I got nothing to lose.Nadal was impressed with Smyczeks play, too, admitting he knew little about his opponent before the match.I saw him play in some videos, he said.For Smyczek, its now back to the minor leagues, with the goal of lifting his ranking into the top 100 so he doesnt have to qualify for the Slams anymore. Hes supposed to play a challenger in Hawaii next week, but he may take a week off to rest after his performance in Melbourne.Its definitely not going to be the same as playing a night session on Rod Laver, he said. Its just part of the deal with being ranked 100 in the world. Youve got to do it. ' ' '