photo: Joshua Baez (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)
The Cardinals have won four straight series with the Chicago visit to be forever remembered due to Joshua Baez’ explosive Saturday debut. Our history feature highlights prior multi-home run games by Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
Baez makes historic debut at Wrigley Field
Following the departure of veteran outfielder Lars Nootbaar at the trade deadline, questions were raised about when the Cardinals’ no. 3 prospect, outfielder Joshua Báez, would make his major league debut.
That question was answered on Saturday, August 15, when the Cardinals called up Báez to play left field against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Fans got more than they bargained for with his debut.
Báez came to the plate for his first major league at bat in the first inning. With Alec Burleson on first base, Báez swung at the first offering from Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, a 93-mph four seam fastball in the outside upper quadrant of the strike zone, and sent it straight into the center field stands. The home run measured 449 feet and gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
While hitting a home run on the first pitch a player saw in the major leagues has been done before, what followed has not.
In his next at bat in the fourth inning, Báez sent a 77-mph changeup into the left field bleachers for a solo home run.
If one thought he could not possibly do it a third time, that thought was erroneous. After Alec Burleson’s walk to start the sixth inning, Báez slugged a two-run shot, the other way into the right field stands, for the third home run of his major league debut. The feat elicited a standing ovation from the Chicago crowd.
The first player in Major League history with three home runs in his first three plate appearances:
Joshua Báez! 💥 pic.twitter.com/In43fgetBd
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 15, 2026
Joshua Emanuel Báez, 23 years old from Boston, Massachusetts, second round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2021 draft, accomplished what no other major league baseball player has ever done in the history of the sport.
To say Báez introduced his presence with authority to the Major League Baseball audience is an understatement.
Game Recaps
Monday, August 10, 2026 – Cardinals 5, Phillies 6
The Cardinals were edged by the Phillies by a 6-5 score in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
Starter Hunter Dobbins pitched five innings, gave up three runs, one earned, on four hits, walked three and fanned six. Dobbins took the loss.
Luis Gastelum relieved Dobbins and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Caleb Ferguson relinquished one run without recording an out. Gordon Graceffo yielded two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Justin Bruihl tossed a scoreless ninth.
Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. They made it 3-0 in the fifth.
St. Louis put up two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 3-2. JJ Wetherholt walked. Iván Herrera doubled. Alec Burleson doubled to plate Wetherholt and Herrera.
The Phillies extended their lead to 6-3 with one run in the seventh and two in the top of the eighth.
The Cardinals answered with two runs in the home eighth to shrink the lead to 6-5.
The Cardinals scored five runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Herrera was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
José Fermín stole two bases.
Dobbins made a throwing error. Walker had a fielding miscue.
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 – Cardinals 2, Phillies 0
The Cardinals blanked the Phillies by a 2-0 score at Busch Stadium on Tuesday.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, walked three and struck out two.
George Soriano relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless seventh to earn the win. Caleb Ferguson began the eighth but walked three batters and was replaced by Ryne Stanek. Stanek miraculously escaped the jam. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth for his 30th save.
The game was scoreless through 6 ½ innings. In the home seventh, the Cardinals scored one run. Jordan Walker drew a walk and stole second and he scored on a Masyn Winn single.
The Cardinals added a second run in the eighth on a solo home run by Everson Pereira.
The offense scored two runs on six hits. Winn was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Walker stole his 15th base.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 – Cardinals 7, Phillies 1
The Cardinals defeated the Phillies by the score of 7-1 on Wednesday to take the home series.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up one run on six hits and fanned six to earn his ninth win.
Justin Bruihl relieved Leahy and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Gordon Graceffo hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Luis Gastelum tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Jordan Walker reached on an error and stole second base. Nathan Church doubled to score Walker.
The Phillies tied the game in the fourth.
St. Louis added four runs in the fifth to increase the lead to 5-1. César Prieto and JJ Wetherholt singled. Iván Herrera drove in Prieto on a single. Alec Burleson doubled to plate Wetherholt and Herrera. Burleson scored on a double by Walker.
The Cardinals put up two more runs in the seventh for the final score of 7-1. Wetherholt walked and stole second. Herrera walked. Burleson singled and Wetherholt came home. Walker drew a walk. Herrera scored on a sac fly by Nathan Church.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on eight hits. Burleson was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Wetherholt and Herrera each scored two runs.
Walker stole his 16th base of the season. Wetherholt swiped his 13th bag.
Thursday, August 13, 2026 – Off day
Friday, August 14, 2026 – Cardinals 0 at Cubs 3
The Cardinals were blanked by the Cubs by a 3-0 score at Wrigley Field on Friday.
Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on two hits, walked one and fanned six. Liberatore took the tough loss.
George Soriano relieved Liberatore and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Peter Strzelecki tossed the final two scoreless innings.
The game was scoreless until the Cubs got on the board with three runs in the home sixth.
The Cardinals were held to three hits, singles by José Fermín, Iván Herrera, and Bryan Torres. The offense was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
Saturday, August 15, 2026 – Cardinals 8 at Cubs 4
The Cardinals recovered from the loss on Friday with an 8-4 win on Saturday, forever to be remembered as Joshua Baez’ explosive MLB debut.
Starter Michael McGreevy pitched six innings, gave up three unearned runs on five hits, walked two and fanned six to earn his fifth win.
Justin Bruihl relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless seventh. Ryne Stanek surrendered one run in the eighth. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals went up 3-0 in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt walked. Iván Herrera was hit by a pitch. Jordan Walker grounded into a force out, eliminating Herrera. Alec Burleson eliminated Walker in a force out and Wetherholt scored. Joshua Báez followed with a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw in his major league debut.
The Cubs tied the game in the second.
The Cardinals regained the lead 4-3 in the fourth on a solo home run by Báez. In the sixth, St. Louis increased the lead to 7-3. Burleson walked. Báez hit a two-run home run and made history as the only player to hit three home runs in his major league debut. Blaze Jordan thumped a solo home run.
The Cardinals made it 8-3 in the top of the eighth on a solo home run by Burleson. The Cubs answered with a run in the home eighth for the final score of 8-4.
The Cardinals scored eight runs on seven hits. Báez was 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored. Burleson had two RBI and three runs scored.
Everson Pereira was picked off first base. Jordan made a fielding error.
Sunday, August 16, 2026 – Cardinals 11 at Cubs 4
The Cardinals routed the Cubs in the final game of the weekend series at Wrigley. This was the final matchup between the two teams for the season.
Starter Hunter Dobbins pitched five innings, gave up two runs on two hits, walked four and fanned seven to earn his third win.
Luis Gastelum relieved Dobbins and threw two scoreless innings. Gordon Graceffo surrendered one run in the eighth. Caleb Ferguson yielded one run in the ninth.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt hit a ground-rule double, and Alec Burleson followed with a two-run home run. They added a run in the second to make it 3-0. Jimmy Crooks doubled and scored on a single by Blaze Jordan.
The Cubs scored two runs in the third to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Cardinals answered with a six-run fourth to extend the lead to 9-2. Masyn Winn and Crooks walked. Jordan singled. Wetherholt walked and Winn came home. Crooks scored on a sac fly by Iván Herrera. Burleson plated Jordan and Wetherholt on a single. Jordan Walker hit a two-run home run.
In the top of the eighth, St. Louis increased the lead to 11-2. Wetherholt singled. Herrera walked. Walker doubled to score Wetherholt and Herrera.
Chicago rallied for one run in the home eighth and one in the ninth to bring the final score to 11-4.
St. Louis’ offense scored 11 runs on 13 hits. Burleson was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Walker was 3-for-4 with four RBI. Wetherholt was 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Jordan was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Crooks was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals won two series for the week, both against teams in contention for a playoff spot. The team finished 4-2 for the week with two wins in each series with the Phillies and the Cubs. This extended their streak of series wins to four.
At two games over .500 at 63-61, St. Louis remains in third place, 13.5 games back of the Brewers and three games out of a Wild Card spot. They would need to leapfrog three teams to get to make the playoffs. It is a daunting task, though not impossible.
The offense has seemingly pulled themselves out of the funk they have been in since the All-Star break. There have been some changes to the roster, the most significant one being the addition of outfielder Joshua Báez over the weekend. The Cardinals No. 3 prospect started with a bang, as noted in several places in this article.
In addition, two key run producers, Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker, have gone on a recent tear. Two other players, middle infielders JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn, continue to struggle with the bat.
The top performers by OPS for the week are Joshua Báez (1.666 in nine ABs), Everson Pereira (1.357 in seven ABs), Alec Burleson (1.298), and Jordan Walker (.925).
At the bottom are JJ Wetherholt (.460), Nathan Church (.376), Masyn Winn (.356), and César Prieto (.250). Prieto was returned to Memphis to make room for Báez.
The starting rotation has settled down for the time being. Matthew Liberatore made two decent starts in a row, which has been difficult for him in the past few months. All five starters kept their ERAs for the week under 4.00.
The best that can be said for the bullpen is that it has not gotten worse. The bar was low, however. Of the relief corps, Luis Gastelum, Riley O’Brien, Justin Bruihl, and Peter Strzelecki had a good week. Caleb Ferguson, newly obtained for money from the Reds, has performed the worst, putting up an 18.00 ERA over three appearances during the week. George Soriano, Ryne Stanek, and Gordon Graceffo were mediocre at best.
The Cardinals continue the road trip in Cincinnati beginning Monday, playing five games in four days with a doubleheader on Monday to make up a previously rained out game. The trip ends in Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct | GB | WCGB |
| Milwaukee | 77 | 48 | 0.616 | ||
| Chicago | 72 | 53 | 0.576 | 5 | |
| St. Louis | 63 | 61 | 0.508 | 14 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | 61 | 65 | 0.484 | 17 | 6 |
| Cincinnati | 59 | 64 | 0.480 | 17 | 6.5 |
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 8/10 OF Nelson Velázquez was claimed off waivers by the Houston Astros.
- 8/15 The Cardinals optioned 3B César Prieto to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 8/15 The Cardinals recalled RF Joshua Báez from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- 3B Ramón Urías was placed on the 60-day injured list on June 12. He has elbow lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) in both elbows. Urías is currently on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
- RHP Max Rajcic had right UCL reconstruction surgery (Tommy John) on July 23, 2026. He will miss the remainder of 2026 and likely all of the 2027 season.
Looking Ahead
After the Cubs series, the road trip continues with five games in four days with the Reds at Great American Ballpark. Lefty prospect Quinn Mathews will start Game 1 of Monday’s twin bill, called up from Memphis as the 27th-man for the day.
The road trip concludes in Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Park for a weekend set with the Phillies.
The month of August ends with a six-game homestand facing the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates.
September begins with a West Coast road trip. The nine games begin at Dodger Stadium for three against the Dodgers, then three in Denver at Coors Field and a three-game matchup with the Giants in San Francisco.
Blast from the Past
Over the weekend, the Cardinals called up outfield prospect Joshua Báez from the Memphis Redbirds to make his major league debut in the second game of the series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Báez made a historic debut, slugging three home runs, one to center, left, and right fields at Wrigley. The first long ball was on the first pitch he saw.
No player in MLB history had hit three home runs in his major league debut until Saturday.
Because this feat has never been done before, any comps that could be drawn do not exist. Therefore, this week’s Blast from the Past will take a different direction in honor of Báez and his historic feat.
This week we go the direction of other multi home run games by Cardinals players at Wrigley Field. The list contains the name of the player, the date or dates the games occurred, and the number of home runs hit, with some relevant details. Several players hit two or more home runs at Wrigley more than once.
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Albert Pujols (USA TODAY Sports Images) Albert Pujols – Pujols hit multiple home runs at Wrigley Field on at least two separate occasions. On July 20, 2004, Pujols hit a solo home run in the third inning, a solo home run in the seventh, and a two-run home run in the ninth. On May 30, 2010, Pujols again hit three home runs at Wrigley Field. He hit a solo home run in the first, a two-run shot in the fifth and a solo blast in the ninth.
- Matt Carpenter – On July 20, 2018, Carpenter slugged three home runs in an 18-5 rout of the Cubs at Wrigley Field. He hit a solo home run as the leadoff hitter in the first inning. In the second, Carpenter sent a two-run shot to right center field. The third long ball was a three-run blast in the sixth.
- Mark McGwire – McGwire hit two home runs at Wrigley Field in an extra inning game. The first was a solo home run to left field in the eighth. The second was a solo home run in the 10th
- Stan Musial – Musial hit two home runs in a 13-5 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on October 2, 1949. The first was a solo home run in the fourth and the second was a three-run monster in the ninth.
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