Playing your first professional game must be one of the most pressure-packed experiences for an athlete in any sport. That wasn't the case for St. Louis Cardinals rookie pitcher Michael McGreevy, who pitched seven innings in his MLB debut en route to defeating the Texas Rangers 10-1 on Wednesday. Outfielder Tommy Pham also starred in the Cardinals' victory, having gotten three hits and two RBI after starting in left field.
No pressure for Michael McGreevy
After his promotion from Triple-A Memphis, McGreevy stepped up big for the Cardinals. In his seven innings, the rookie allowed only five hits and one run. His stellar performance earned him a standing ovation from the crowd, which included 15 of his family members and friends.
About McGreevy's performance, catcher Pedro Pages said that he was impressed at how he handled the pressure of playing in his first MLB game.
“It's a big difference pitching down here and pitching up here,” Pages said. “He handled it really well.” Moreover, Pages admired how calm and collected McGreevy was before the game. “I asked him if he was nervous and he said no,” the catcher said.
McGreevy himself admitted that he felt zero pressure in the moment, even though his teammates didn't exactly believe him.
“I was telling the truth,” he said. “This was exactly what I've been dreaming of since I was little.” Capping off his response, the rookie added, “You don't train for college baseball or minors. You train to be here.”
Asked about his performance, the rookie pitcher said, “I have a job to do.” He threw 99 pitches during the game, striking out three and walking one. “This means everything to me,” McGreevy said. “This is just baseball at the end of the day.”
McGreevy's impressive Cardinals debut
As the 18th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, Michael McGreevy also became the sixth pitcher, and eight player, to debut for the Cardinals in 2024. He succeeded Mike Mayers as the last pitcher to debut for the Cards at home, who did it versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016. Moreover, McGreevy became the first Cardinal to win his debut game since Jason Simontacchi in 2002.
Even Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol couldn't hide his awe at the rookie's performance. “Probably the most impressive thing is how in control he was,” Marmol said. “He didn't make the moment any bigger than it was. The game never sped up on him.”
This victory marks the Cardinals' largest margin of victory this season, finishing 3-3 on their six-game home stand. On the flipside, this defeat meant the Rangers' fifth loss in six games, which followed a five-game winning streak.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had a simple response to the loss. “You have to play better baseball than we did. We've got to get these bats going. It's pretty simple,” he said.
Follow Us
Subscribe
