Michael McGreevy delivered six no-hit innings in his 2026 debut as the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 in 10 innings at Busch Stadium on Saturday. Top prospect JJ Wetherholt provided the heroics with a two-run single in the bottom of the 10th for his first career walk-off hit. The victory capped a strong pitching performance and resilient comeback.
ST. LOUIS -- Rookie pitcher Michael McGreevy shone in his first start of the 2026 season for the Cardinals, holding the Rays hitless over six innings with five strikeouts and two walks on 96 pitches. He became the first St. Louis starter to achieve a no-hit bid of six or more innings in a season debut since Daniel Ponce de Leon on July 23, 2018. The no-hitter ended when Junior Caminero singled off reliever Riley O’Brien in the seventh. McGreevy relied heavily on his changeup, which he refined in the offseason, while holding Rays left-handers hitless in 13 at-bats despite their success against him in 2025 (.318 AVG, .911 OPS). He escaped a fourth-inning jam after an error by third baseman Ramón Urías and a walk to Jonathan Aranda, retiring the next three batters. “Changeup was great,” McGreevy said. “Keeping their hitters off balance, using all seven of my pitches today... I was very happy to keep them at bay.” The Cardinals jumped ahead 2-0 in the first when JJ Wetherholt led off with an infield single, stole second and scored on Alec Burleson’s RBI single; Burleson also stole second, allowing Nolan Gorman’s RBI single. St. Louis added two more in the eighth on Iván Herrera’s RBI double and Burleson’s sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead. But the bullpen faltered: Matt Svanson allowed three runs in the ninth, and Ryne Stanek gave up an RBI single to Nick Fortes to tie it at 4-4. Stanek then permitted the automatic runner to score on Yandy Díaz’s single in the 10th, putting Tampa Bay ahead 5-4. In the bottom half, Jordan Walker walked, Victor Scott II sacrificed, and Wetherholt lined a two-run single to right on a 97.1 mph pitch for the win—only the second Cardinals walk-off hit in a player’s first or second career game since 1969, joining Curt Ford in 1985. “I was just going up ready to hit,” Wetherholt said. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol praised the rookie: “He’s not going to make much of any situation... It was perfect.” McGreevy noted the team’s resolve: “The vibe of the dugout never changed.” The win gives St. Louis a series victory and a perfect 2-0 start.
