Cardinals rookie Joshua Baez hits three homers in debut, leads team to win
Joshua Baez became the first major-league player to hit three home runs in his first three plate appearances, helping St. Louis beat Chicago 8-4.
St. Louis outfielder Joshua Baez, called up from Triple-A Memphis earlier in the day, recorded three home runs in his first three at-bats, propelling the Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday. Baez’s first pitch was a two-run shot to the left-center bleachers, followed by solo homers in the fourth and sixth innings, giving him five runs batted in.
The 23-year-old, ranked the fourth-best prospect in the Cardinals system and 93rd overall by ESPN, became the first player in MLB history to homer three times in a debut. His 449-foot first homer was the third-longest debut home run recorded since 2006, behind only Jason Heyward and Aaron Judge.
Cardinals teammates Blaze Jordan and Alec Burleson added solo home runs, while Cubs outfielder Michael Conforto hit a three-run homer for Chicago, which had won nine of its previous eleven games. Cubs starter Matthew Boyd allowed seven runs on five hits and three walks in 5⅓ innings.
Baez’s performance follows a four-homer game in Triple-A Memphis in June, where he leads the minor-league level with 34 home runs this season. He is scheduled to start the series finale on Sunday.