With a major league career that consisted entirely of bullpen appearances, 202 over the three years prior to 2011, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle McClellan had received few opportunities to hit. Coming into this season, the total was exactly ten official at-bats, from which he had collected a lone single for a pitcher-like .100 average.
In his initial start as a major leaguer last week, McClellan added another 0-for-2 result to his total. That all changed Monday night in Arizona, however.
McClellan reached base in all three of his at-bats and drove in the first two runs of his career. The right-handed hitter collected an RBI double on a hit-and-run with slow-footed catcher Yadier Molina at first base in the third inning. McClellan added a run-scoring single in the fourth and reached on a fielding error in the sixth.
His next offensive objective may be to score his first major league run.
Oh yeah, after yielding just one run in six innings, McClellan picked up his first victory as a big-league starter. He helped the Cardinals initiate their first winning streak of the season (all of two games and counting) via the 8-2 victory.
Researcher Tom Orf provided the following table of those who preceded McClellan. He is the 16th pitcher to reach base three times in a game in Tony La Russa’s 16 years as Cardinals manager. While Jason Marquis had the most occurrences, three, not surprisingly then-pitcher Rick Ankiel reached base a high of four times in a game back in 2000.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher reaching base three-plus times, 1996-2011
| Pitcher/batter | Date | Opp | Rslt | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | TOB | IBB | SO | HBP | SH | SF | ROE | GDP | SB | CS | BOP |
| Adam Wainwright | 6/29/2010 | ARI | W 8-0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Jaime Garcia | 5/31/2010 | CIN | W 12-4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Adam Wainwright | 8/22/2008 | ATL | W 18-3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Braden Looper | 5/6/2008 | COL | W 6-5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Mark Mulder | 4/10/2006 | MIL | W 6-4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Jason Marquis | 6/4/2005 | HOU | W 11-9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Jason Marquis | 4/22/2005 | HOU | W 8-7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Jason Marquis | 5/31/2004 | PIT | W 8-3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Woody Williams | 5/5/2003 | CIN | L 4-5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Matt Morris | 4/16/2003 | MIL | W 15-2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Rick Ankiel | 7/21/2000 | HOU | W 12-1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Rick Ankiel | 4/20/2000 | SDP | W 14-1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Matt Morris | 1998-08-21 (1) | NYM | W 10-5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Alan Benes | 5/27/1997 | COL | W 8-6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Todd Stottlemyre | 6/30/1996 | PIT | W 10-3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
The total number of such games for the Cardinals since 1960 is 76. Bob Gibson had 16. The counts by pitcher follow.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher reaching base three-plus times, 1960-2011
| Games | ||||
| 16 | Bob Gibson | |||
| 4 | Bob Forsch | Curt Simmons | ||
| 3 | Jason Marquis | Reggie Cleveland | ||
| 2 | Adam Wainwright | Alan Foster | Ernie Broglio | Joe Magrane |
| John Denny | John Tudor | Matt Morris | Mike Torrez | |
| Nelson Briles | Ray Washburn | Rick Ankiel | Scott Terry | |
| Steve Carlton | ||||
| 1 | Kyle McClellan | Al Cicotte | Al Jackson | Alan Benes |
| Braden Looper | Dave LaPoint | Don Durham | Eric Rasmussen | |
| Jaime Garcia | Jim Bibby | Joaquin Andujar | John Curtis | |
| Lynn McGlothen | Mark Mulder | Pete Falcone | Rick Wise | |
| Roger Craig | Silvio Martinez | Todd Stottlemyre | Woody Williams |
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