MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The day had come, as they knew it would. Adam Wainwright on the mound, getting in his final spring work as the starter for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in Monday’s exhibition finale for the Cardinals, with his longtime catcher Yadier Molina digging into the batter’s box.

Maybe not Satchel Paige vs. Josh Gibson -- but it had been the stuff of sometimes lively discussion around the Cardinals' clubhouse and offices in recent days.

The two treated it with, well, tongue-in-cheek reverence. When Molina strode to the plate in the second inning of the Cardinals’ 6-3 victory, Wainwright stepped off the mound a huge grin on his face. Molina took off his helmet and then bowed in his friend’s direction.

When Waino fell behind 3-1, Molina pointed down the left-field line, but he wound up tapping an offspeed pitch up the middle that shortstop Edmundo Sosa gobbled up.

“I thought about throwing the first one behind him or to the backstop, but didn’t want to mess with my mechanics,” Wainwright said with a sly grin. “Got him on a couple of cutters, though I didn’t have command of my fastball all night.”

Wainright said the two hadn’t faced off in a game since 2003 in Double-A ball.

“Yadi went 1-for-3 on me with a single,” Wainwright said.

Added Molina: “We just had fun.”

Wainwright retired Molina again in the third on a flyout to right, and he also had Paul Goldschmidt chasing on a couple of flyouts. But Wainwright also walked two batters in both the second and third. Marcell Ozuna made him pay in the third with a three-run shot down the line, his third home run in his last four spring starts.

“Tried to get him with a split, but it hung and he got on it,” Wainwright said of Ozuna. “Just proves you can’t walk anybody in this game.”

Hero's return
It was billed as the “Battle of the Birds,” but Monday night’s exhibition at AutoZone Park, on many levels, could have easily been dubbed, “This Is Your Life Stubby Clapp…”

Clapp was a sparkplug second baseman and fan icon when the Redbirds won their first Pacific Coast League title in 2000. He came back as the Redbirds’ manager in 2017, and he skippered the team to back-to-back PCL titles, despite record roster churn both seasons. Clapp is now the Cardinals’ first-base coach.

“It’s a little different, not having my wife and kids around like they’ve been the last couple of years,” said Clapp, who makes his home in Savannah, Tenn., two hours from Memphis. “When we came into the city, going around and recognizing special places puts a smile on your face, but it’s time to move on and get better at the next stage."

Before the game, Clapp helped pass out Triple-A national championship rings to several players on both sides who played a role in the fourth PCL title in Redbirds history.

“It’s nice to get together and celebrate what we accomplished,” Clapp said. “I didn’t ask to see what the ring looked like. Wanted to be surprised.”

Clapp was joined on the mound by his two predecessors in Memphis -- current Cardinals manager Mike Shildt and third-base coach Ron "Pop" Warner.

“It’s always special to be at this place. Great ballpark, fond memories, and a tradition of helping the Cardinals win championships,” Shildt said

Having that shared experience makes working together even easier.

“I’ve had a big learning curve, but Shildty and Pop have made it easier with their advice,” Clapp said.

Roster trimmed to 25
After the game, the Cardinals announced their final cuts, sending left-hander Tyler Webb to Memphis and six others -- right-hander Chris Beck, southpaw Tommy Layne, catchers Andrew Knizner and Francisco Pena, infielders Tommy Edman and Rangel Ravelo and outfielder Dylan Carlson to Minor League camp. Most will wind up with Memphis, with Carlson to start at Double-A Springfield.