Cardinals Rookie Nathan Church Smashes First MLB Hit and Homer vs. Rays
Ladies and gentlemen, circle the date because Friday night in Tampa was one of those moments you just don’t forget. Nathan Church — the Cardinals rookie, the 25-year-old outfielder, the kid who’s been grinding through Springfield and Memphis all year — finally had his big league breakthrough. Not just one milestone, but two in the same game. He got his first MLB hit and his first MLB home run, both against the Tampa Bay Rays.
After starting his Cardinals career with an 0-for-14 stretch, Church ripped a 99.4 mph liner through the left side of the infield in the fifth inning for his long-awaited first knock.
But That’s Not All!
And folks, you could see the weight come off his shoulders. Then, just two innings later, he made sure nobody would forget his name, blasting a 414-foot rocket to right field off Adrian Houser. The swing, the sound, the celebration — it was pure baseball magic.
And you could tell what it meant. Church’s family — mom, dad, and his sibling Maddox — had been chasing his debut across three cities. They got to see it, live and in color, when he rounded the bases with a grin so wide it could light up Busch Stadium.
Now, this wasn’t just about the bat. If you’ve been paying attention, you already know Church’s defense has been Major League-ready from the jump. Just the night before, he gunned down Nick Fortes at third base with an absolute dart. A throw so sharp it cut down a run before it could even score. Manager Oli Marmol put it simply: “The hit will come for him, but he does a lot of other things well.” Well, the hits came. Two of them.
Sure, the Cardinals lost 10-6, with Miles Mikolas struggling through another rocky road start, but that’s not the headline here. The headline is Nathan Church has arrived. The rookie turned a tough night into a highlight reel with a liner and a laser, proving exactly why St. Louis called him up when Victor Scott II went down.
And let’s be honest — this is exactly the kind of spark the Cardinals need in a season full of ups and downs. The glove, the arm, the speed, and now the bat — Church showed all of it in one unforgettable night in Tampa.
