Molina suspended, fined after ejection

ST. LOUIS -- Yadier Molina has received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for making contact with second-base umpire Mike Everitt on Sunday.

Molina's suspension was scheduled to be served Monday night, but the Cardinals catcher has appealed, postponing the suspension until the appeal process is over.

After being called out at first in the third inning of Sunday's game against the Giants, Molina slammed his helmet to the ground and, as he turned toward the dugout, was immediately ejected by first-base umpire Clint Fagan. After the ejection, manager Mike Matheny ran out onto the field in protest and was also removed from the game.

Molina had to be restrained from Fagan and as he fought against his brother, Bengie Molina, the fill-in first-base coach who was holding him back, it appeared Molina may have made contact with Everitt. Matheny insisted Monday afternoon, before the suspension was announced, that there was no contact.

"I still stand by the fact -- and I watched it again last night -- that he didn't make contact with the umpire," Matheny said. "The other umpire that stepped in was aggressively stepping in, like Bengie was as well, but that wasn't really the issue. The first-base umpire was never in contact with him, so that shouldn't be an issue."

Matheny spoke out strongly against Molina's ejection in his postgame press conference Sunday and may also face discipline from the league for his comments.

"The best part of Yadi's greatness is his intensity and his passion for the game, for winning," Matheny said. "That's all that play was about. ... It's not about anything else except for us getting one run closer to catching up. That's all it was."