Cardinals rookie Joshua Baez makes MLB history with three-home-run debut

[p]The 23-year-old Dominican-American right-fielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/chicago-cubs-j7ZnBQFi/st-louis-cardinals-IDVz16ES/?mid=QgfnOOY8"]made a debut for the ages at historic Wrigley Field[/a], the oldest National League ballpark dating to 1914.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baez-joshua/nDrb4QWo/"]Baez[/a] smashed the first pitch he saw in MLB, a 93.4-mph fastball from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-cubs/j7ZnBQFi/"]Cubs[/a] left-hander Matthew Boyd, for a two-run homer into center field that gave St. Louis a 3-0 lead.[/p][p]In his second time at bat, Baez blasted a changeup pitch for a solo homer down the left field line in the fourth inning to lift the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-louis-cardinals/IDVz16ES/"]Cardinals[/a] ahead 4-3.[/p][p]That made Baez only the ninth player in MLB history with two homers in his regular-season debut, and just the second since 1900 to homer on his first two MLB at bats after Bob Nieman in 1951.[/p][p]And Baez was not yet done.[/p][p]In the sixth inning, Baez homered again off Boyd for a 6-3 St. Louis lead to put himself alone in MLB history.[/p][embed guid="d588a21d-e336-450f-a21e-00a29918a8aa" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QJdGWANMdU" social-type="youtube" /][p]Baez flew out to left field in the eighth inning but finished 3-for-4 at the plate with three homers and five runs batted in during his first MLB contest.[/p][p]Baez was set to play Friday for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/memphis-redbirds/dzkpE2GD/"]Memphis[/a], the Cardinals' top developmental club, when he was told he was going to the top club.[/p][p]"[b]It was kind of like a shocking moment, just because you don't know when it's going to happen,[/b]" Baez said.[/p][p]Baez recalled his late father, Jose Manuel, who died in 2023.[/p][p]"[b]His dream was to play in the big leagues[/b]," Baez said. "[b]The only promise that I made to him was that I was going to be able to do that for him.[/b][/p][p]"[b]He's not here with us, but he's here in spirit, and I know he's so proud of me.[/b]"[/p]