Tommy Pham, starting in left field for St. Louis, had three hits and drove in two runs. Michael McGreevy pitched seven innings in his MLB debut to help the Cardinals secure a 10-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
Pham, who returned to St. Louis on Tuesday after being part of a three-team trade, hit a pinch-hit grand slam in his debut. He first began his career with the Cardinals, who drafted him in 2006.
“It’s the process,” said Pham. “Stay within the strike zone and try and have a quality at-bat.”
Brendan Donovan added three RBIs, while Michael Siani and Alec Burleson each had two RBIs. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt each had two hits, and the Cardinals collected 14 hits against four Rangers pitchers.
Marcus Semien had two of the Rangers’ five hits and drove in their only run.
“You have to play better baseball than what we did,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “We’ve got to get these bats going. It’s pretty simple.”
McGreevy, called up from Triple-A Memphis, gave up five hits and one run in his seven-inning outing and left the field to a standing ovation.
“It’s a big difference pitching down there and pitching up here,” catcher Pedro Pagés said. “One hundred percent, it’s hard. He handled it all really well. Before the game, I asked him if he was nervous and he said no. I thought he was lying but that’s just me.”
McGreevy, who had about 15 family members and friends at the game, insisted he wasn’t nervous.
“A lot of guys didn’t believe me,” McGreevy said, laughing. “Oh, he’s lying in his first couple of minutes here. I was telling the truth. This was exactly what I’ve been dreaming of since I was little. You don’t train for college baseball or minors. You train to be here.”
McGreevy, picked 18th overall in 2021, is the eighth player and sixth pitcher to debut for St. Louis this season. He became the first Cardinals pitcher to win his debut at home since Jason Simontacchi on May 4, 2002.
