Kathmandu— Joshua Báez made a stunning entrance into Major League Baseball on Saturday, becoming the first player ever to hit home runs in his first three at-bats. The 23-year-old outfielder led the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, driving in five runs and electrifying fans with his power hitting. Báez was called up from Triple-A Memphis earlier that day and immediately made an impact, while Michael McGreevy earned a win on the mound for the Cardinals.

Historic Performance

Báez launched his first major league home run on the very first pitch he saw, sending it into the Wrigley Field bleachers. He continued his remarkable start by hitting another homer in his next at-bat, and then a third in the sixth inning, solidifying his place in baseball history. The rookie’s three home runs all came against Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd.

Cardinals Offensive Support

Beyond Báez's historic performance, the Cardinals received additional offensive contributions from Blaze Jordan and Alec Burleson, both of whom hit solo home runs. These added to the team’s total and helped secure the victory after a loss in the series opener. Báez is also the first St. Louis player to homer in his very first career plate appearance since Lane Thomas did so in June 2019.

Pitching Matchup

Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy earned his fifth win of the season, allowing three unearned runs over six innings while striking out six. He hadn't won a game since July 8th. Cubs starter Matthew Boyd struggled, giving up seven runs on five hits and three walks in just 5 1/3 innings before being replaced by Colin Rea.

The Cardinals and Cubs will conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon with Hunter Dobbins scheduled to start for St. Louis against Edward Cabrera of the Cubs, who is returning from a left hamstring strain.

(With inputs from AP)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.