Adam Wainwright threw this pitch almost directly into the ground to protect Yadier Molina

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50 Cent. Mayor Mark Mallory. Adam Wainwright. What do all three have in common? They've spiked pitches almost directly into the dirt.
While the hip-hop artist and politician may have let the ball loose accidentally, or perhaps just had too much pine tar on their hands, Wainwright had a much better reason for his end zone-like spike: Saving his catcher. 
With two on and one out in the top of the fourth of the Cardinals' 2-1 loss to the Cubs, Wainwright faced Cubs' hurler (and home run-hitter) Jake Arrieta. He then threw his pitch almost directly into the ground in what Wainwright later told Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com was "one of the worst pitches of all-time."
But there was a good reason for it. "I saw [Molina] shift outside -- I was looking at a different part of the plate," the right-hander said. "And so when I saw that -- and I've seen it before -- I thought he was looking for a breaking ball and I had fastball grip. I did not want to throw a ball and hit him in the collarbone or something and knock Yadier out. So I pull-hooked it and erred on the side of not hitting him ... by about 20 or 30 yards." 
I think Molina would agree that was probably the right decision, too. You can listen to Wainwright's comments below: 

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