ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina leads the National League in batting and has put himself in the early discussion for MVP honours, at least in the eyes of St. Louis right-hander Jake Westbrook. Molina hit his fifth home run and Westbrook pitched seven innings of two-hit ball in the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Molina said the blast was somewhat of a surprise to him. "Sometimes you get lucky," he said. "That was lucky." Westbrook (3-2) worked around trouble almost the entire night in his second start since coming off the disabled list with a sore elbow. He gave up no earned runs, striking out two and walking three. Edward Mujica pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 21st save in 21 attempts. Westbrook said if he voted for MVP, his battery mate would get the nod. "With the way hes been hitting, but more importantly the way hes handled us as a staff and the way weve been pitching," Westbrook said. "He, in my mind, is the reason for that." Molina is hitting .365 and is pulling away from the field. Colorados Troy Tulowitzki, who is on the disabled list, is second at .347. Molina is just outside of the top 10 in RBIs (41). Hes also guides a Cardinals pitching staff that has the major leagues second-best ERA (3.28). Edwin Jackson (3-9) was pulled after he hit Jon Jay following Molinas blast to left field. He pitched 5 1-3 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits. He struck out one and walked two. He was going for his third consecutive victory and was pleased with his performance. He wasnt even unhappy with the ball that Molina homered on. "I thought it was a pretty good pitch, but either he was looking for it or he guessed right or it was right in his zone," Jackson said. "Either way, he hit it for a home run. But I threw my pitch with conviction and it was the pitch I wanted to throw. Sometimes it happens in a game." Allen Craig reached in the fifth after second basemans Darwin Barneys throw on the back end of a double-play attempt went to the Cardinals dugout. Molina drove a 1-2 pitch just over the outfield wall to improve to 9 for 15 with three homers against Jackson. Jay went to third on a hit-and-run with Daniel Descalso singling to right and scored on a hit from Pete Kozma to give St. Louis a 4-1 lead. Westbrook retired the Cubs in order in the first and seventh innings, allowing at least one runner to reach in the five innings between. He faced the minimum in three of those five innings. Two runners were erased on inning-ending double plays and Luis Valbuena was caught stealing on a pitch out for the first out of the third. "He was good," Molina said of Westbrook. "That sinker was moving a lot." Westbrook lasted just five innings in his return Friday at Miami. He gave up five runs (three earned) on eight hits in a loss. "I felt good," Westbrook said. "I was throwing a really good sinker, tonight. I was locating it a lot better than the last start." Anthony Rizzo opened the second with a single and went to third when second baseman Matt Carpenters throw to start a potential double play sailed over the Kozmas head and into leftfield. Rizzo tagged up on a sacrifice fly from Barney and scored after knocking the ball out of Molinas glove. Carpenter singled to start the first and scored on Craigs hit to centre. NOTES: The Cardinals earned at least a split of the four-game series. ... Jacksons exit with one out in the fifth snapped a five-game streak in which the Cubs rotation recorded a quality start and a seven-game stretch in which it went at least six innings. ... Craig is hitting .431 with runners in scoring position. ... Rizzos single in the second ended a 0-10 streak. ... Molina was assessed with his third error of the year for dropping the ball in the second and allowing Ryan Sweeney and Welington Castillo to advance. He had three all of last season. ... Major League Baseball made two scoring changes from the Cardinals game June 11 at the New York Mets. It rewarded Molina a double rather than an error as originally scored and changed an error assessed to 3B David Freese to a hit for David Wright. Nike Free Shoes Australia .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Nike Free Wholesale Australia . JOHNS, N. http://www.nikefreeaustralia.com/ . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rookie season. Nike Free Australia Online . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. Nike Free Cheap Online . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Gabby Douglas had just completed the last routine and last post-competition interview of her Olympic career, and her eyes were puddling up with tears after someone asked her about the latest wave of criticism she had caught back in the U.S.I tried to stay off the internet because theres just so much negativity, Douglas admitted when asked about the stories that went viral after the U.S. won the team competition; the articles suggested she didnt exhibit proper decorum on the medal stand. Either it was about my hair or my hand not over my heart [on the medal podium] or I look depressed. ... It was hurtful. It was hurtful. It was. Its been kind of a lot to deal with.Douglas noted I apologized if I offended anyone by merely standing at attention rather than copying her four teammates, who had their hands over their hearts. But she still remains a bit baffled. Ive always said it was an honor to represent the U.S. You always do this for your country, and then, like people say, for yourself and other people.After Douglas thanked everyone in the press area and gave way to Madison Kocian, who won the silver medal in the uneven bars competition, she walked down the hallway at Olympic Arena. Then Douglas stood in a corner, facing a wall, and had a good, long cry.It was hard to watch. Every now and then, a Team USA worker took a look at her. Finally, a woman walked over and handed Douglas what appeared to be a Kleenex. The woman wrapped an arm around Douglas shoulder and patted her a couple of times, then left the gymnast alone once more.In a Reuters story posted Sunday, Douglas mother, Natalie Hawkins, was more direct, calling what her daughter has been through bullying.ddddddddddddhat I saw in the stands, Hawkins said, was someone who was hurting and she was also angry. What was going through her head was, Im being attacked for everything I do so I might as well not do anything. Because no matter what I do, I am being attacked.You name it, she got trampled, Hawkins added. What did she ever do to anyone?Simone Biles, who won the individual all-around gold medal in Rio, the same title Douglas won at the 2012 Olympics, spoke about how this team is as close as sisters, and how Douglas -- one of her best friends on the team -- was among the first to congratulate her. Aly Raisman, who won the silver in the same event, said Douglas was among her teammates who spent the morning of the all-around helping Biles and Raisman get ready, asking them if there was anything they needed.I love them. ... I always supported them, Douglas said Sunday.It still didnt stop the ginned-up criticism. Douglas, who finished seventh in the bars Sunday after qualifying third-best, admitted, Its been hard.When I heard some of the comments, I was finally like Whoa, whoa, whoa, thats far from me and far from my personality at all, Douglas said. Ive been through a lot. A lot. Sometimes I sit back and say, Wait. What did I do to disrespect people? What have I done to disrespect the USA?I dont get that part, Douglas said, tearing up again. Im sorry. ' ' '