If you’re a St. Louis Cardinals fan, remember the name Andre Granillo, because MLB history just got his autograph.
Granillo pulled off something truly rare during Thursday’s doubleheader sweep of the Chicago White Sox, recording his first MLB win, save, and strikeout—all in the same day. Yes, you read that right. That’s a statistical trifecta you almost never see, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for a Cardinals bullpen in dire need of a spark.
All of this happened in his first week in the majors. He made his first appearance for the big club on the 12th against Milwaukie where he pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball. Granillo had a scoreless inning against the White Sox on the June 17th before he made history on the 19th.
St. Louis entered Thursday stretched thin from a packed schedule, playing their sixth doubleheader of the season after yet another rainout. With the pitching staff running on fumes, it opened the door for the rookie reliever—and Granillo made his presence felt.
This wasn’t the only history made against the White Sox. Steven Matz also had an amazing day, joining Bob Gibson as the only other Cardinal to achieve this feat. And don’t forget Nolan Arenado who joined a very exclusive club on the 19th that includes Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Ken Griffey Jr., Johnny Bench, Al Kaline, Andruw Jones.
Andre Granillo’s Big Day: A First for Everything
In the first game of the doubleheader, the 25-year-old stepped into a tight seventh-inning jam after Steven Matz allowed two runners with two outs. A wild pitch and stolen base made things even trickier, putting the tying runs in scoring position. But Granillo stayed cool under pressure, inducing a flyout to end the inning and keep the Cardinals within striking distance. Moments later, Willson Contreras launched a two-run homer, and Yohel Pozo added an RBI single to flip the script—and hand Granillo his first MLB victory.
As if that weren’t enough, game two brought even more fireworks. The Cardinals saw a 6-2 lead vanish thanks to a grand slam by Andrew Benintendi in the seventh. But in the tenth, Nolan Arenado delivered an RBI single and Lars Nootbaar blasted a solo shot to give St. Louis an 8-6 lead. Enter Granillo again—tasked with closing things out. He allowed a walk but also struck out his first big-league batter, locking down his first MLB save in dramatic fashion.
A Bullpen Savior in the Making?
Let’s not crown him the closer just yet, but Granillo is making a strong case for more high-leverage opportunities. While he only has five major league innings to his name, they are all scoreless innings. The Cardinals definitely need more arms with shut down potential like Granillo’s. Ryan Helsley has had his shaky moments, and the regression of other relievers has only amplified the Cardinals’ need for a steady hand.
In Triple-A Memphis, Granillo was known for his swing-and-miss stuff, striking out nearly 14 batters per nine innings. It will be a tall order for that production to transfer to the majors, particularly since most of his big league work has been against the hapless White Sox, but Thursday’s performance suggests it’s possible.
Whether he becomes a mainstay or not, one thing is clear—Andre Granillo is earning trust fast. And for a Cardinals team fighting to stay in the postseason mix, that’s a very big deal. Now let’s see him do this against the Reds up next or the Dodgers later in the season.
