ITPV » The Vikings are 0-4 all-time in the Super Bowl

Yadier Molina’s defense and longevity might earn him a ticket to the Hall of Fame. Suddenly the veteran St. Louis Cardinals catcher is on a home-run tear.

He homered twice to back a strong start by Miles Mikolas and lift the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

Molina’s two-run homer in the sixth inning off reliever Jeremy Jeffress gave St. Louis the lead and the Cardinals held on behind the solid pitching of Mikolas and four relievers.

Molina has five home runs in his last six games Kendall Sheffield Jersey , including another two-homer game in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said the 35-year-old Molina has developed more power as he has grown older.

”He was such a young player when he came up,” Matheny said of Molina, who earlier this week set a major league record for most games caught with one team (now 1,762).

”You figured there was going to be room for improvement but the route he has taken is unique because you can’t always count on that kind of willpower. He’s as driven a player as I’ve ever seen.”

Marcell Ozuna led off the sixth with a line-drive single to center and scored on Molina’s shot to right-center, a ball that bounced off the top of the wall and into the St. Louis bullpen for a 3-2 Cardinals lead.

”He did some damage today,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. ”He was their offense.”

The Brewers (45-31) remained two games ahead of the second-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central after Chicago lost in Cincinnati on Saturday.

Mikolas (8-2), who pitched in Japan last season, allowed three hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings while walking two and striking out five. Bud Norris earned his 14th save with a scoreless ninth. Jeffress (5-1) took the loss.

”We didn’t have any idea what we were getting when we got him and he’s been everything as advertised from the Japanese league, plus John Cominsky Jersey ,” Matheny said of Mikolas. ”You just don’t know how that’s going to translate.”

Mikolas retired 16 of the last 17 hitters he faced.

The Brewers took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Jesus Aguilar and an RBI single by newcomer Brad Miller.

St. Louis closed the gap when Molina led off the second inning with a solo home run to right-center.

Brewers starter Chase Anderson did not yield another run in five innings, giving up two hits and striking out nine while walking four.

The Brewers had a big chance in the eighth when they loaded the bases with two outs on two hit batters and an infield single. Aguilar grounded out to shortstop against Cardinals reliever Sam Tuivailala to end the threat.

MILLER DEBUTS

The Brewers recalled infielder Brad Miller from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned struggling outfielder Domingo Santana.

Miller, acquired from Tampa Bay on June 10 in exchange for first baseman-outfielder Ji-Man Choi, was in the Brewers starting lineup at second base and had a bloop RBI single in his first at-bat.

Santana hit .278 last season for Milwaukee with 30 homers and 85 RBIs, but never got on track this season. He hit .249, with three homers and 17 RBIs in 189 at-bats.

Miller, who played 95 games at shortstop for Tampa Bay in 2016, likely will play a utility role with Milwaukee.

”I was pretty excited to get the call and come to a team in first place,” Miller said. ”I have the versatility to play everywhere but I’m definitely more comfortable in the middle of the diamond.”

TRAINERS ROOM

Brewers: Ryan Braun entered in the fifth inning to play left field Qadree Ollison Jersey , when outfielder Lorenzo Cain exited due to groin tightness. Cain also was hit by a pitch in the right elbow on Friday and hit by a pitch in the back in the first inning Saturday. Counsell said Cain would not play Sunday in the series finale. ”He’s just a little beat up,” Counsell said. Braun appeared for the first time since receiving a cryogenic injection in his right thumb on Wednesday and went 1-for-2. . RHP Zach Davies (10-day DL, right rotator cuff inflammation) is scheduled to make a second rehab start for Colorado Springs on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Luke Weaver (3-6, 4.69 ERA) will be making his 16th start of the season and seventh career start against the Brewers. He is 2-2 against Milwaukee.

Brewers: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (6-2, 3.18 ERA) had a six-game winning streak snapped in a 1-0 loss at Pittsburgh on Monday. Chacin is 0-6 with a 5.88 ERA in eight career games (seven starts) against the Cardinals.

PHILADELPHIA — The top-seeded Eagles are in search of their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 2004 season when they host the second-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles (14-3) posted a 15-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round last Saturday and will participate in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 2008 season. They dropped a 32-25 decision to the Arizona Cardinals in that contest.

Philadelphia hasn’t hosted an NFC Championship Game since recording a 27-10 win over the Falcons following the 2004 season.

The Vikings (14-3) advanced following a thrilling 29-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Stefon Diggs hauled in a 61-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Case Keenum on the final play of the game Sunday.

Like the Eagles, Minnesota has yet to win a Super Bowl. The Vikings have dropped five consecutive NFC Championship games.

Philadelphia will enter Sunday’s game as an underdog, especially with quarterback Carson Wentz out with a torn ACL.

“It’s about those players in that dressing room, whether we’re three-point underdogs or three-point favorites. They really don’t listen to that stuff,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “Of course Ed Oliver Jersey , they have been sort of force-fed for about two weeks now, three weeks now, the information, and they just stick together. They just stick together and find a way and it’s been that way all season.”

Backup quarterback Nick Foles did an admirable job against the Falcons, completing 23 of 30 passes for 246 yards and a 100.1 passer rating. In two career playoff games with the Eagles — the other coming in a 26-24 loss to the Saints in 2014 — Foles is 46 of 63 for 441 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 102.7 passer rating.

“I am very humbled to win this game and to be a part of this team,” Foles said. “That’s what it’s always been about. I know there was a lot of people against us this last week. Just answering questions, and just hearing about it.

“… The biggest thing in our locker room is we believe in one another. Everyone believes Cody Ford Jersey , and that was shown on display. The city of Philadelphia obviously believes because they were here and loud. So we are grateful for that. Honestly, it’s unbelievable to win this game and we are not finished.”

The Vikings are in search of their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 1976 season — Super Bowl XI.

During the regular season, the Vikings’ defense ranked first in points allowed per game (15.8) and yards given up per game (275.9). Defensive end Everson Griffen was tied for fourth in the league with a career-best 13 sacks this season.

While the Vikings likely have seen video of Diggs’ amazing catch a million times, another game awaits in the NFC Championship.

“We should celebrate this and enjoy this,” tight end Kyle Rudolph told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “It’s hard to win playoff games. There’s a lot of guys in this locker room, including myself, this is our first playoff win. But it’s just the beginning. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.

“It’d be a shame to let something like that go to waste by us not showing up.”

The incredible final play will be etched in viewers’ minds forever.

“I don’t think it’s still really sunk in as far as like what something like that’s going to be,” guard Jeremiah Sirles told ESPN.com. “That’s the stuff that in 20 years, you turn on NFL Films and it’s going to be the 2018 NFL Classic. Something like that that you can’t take away from any player that’s in this room right now. We’ll always be a part of something that happened that was super special like that.”

A win over the Eagles would not only clinch a trip to the Super Bowl Devin Singletary Jersey , but it would also be the Vikings’ first playoff victory against Philadelphia in four tries. The last time the teams met was in the 2008 wild-card round.

The Vikings are 0-4 all-time in the Super Bowl. In order to get a fifth shot, they’ll have to travel to a hostile environment and knock out the No. 1 seed.

“They’re a pretty resilient bunch,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told ESPN.com. “They’re pretty determined in what they’re always trying to get done. They’re always trying to get better. They’re a good group of guys that work really hard.”