Call to the pen
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St. Louis Cardinals Daniel Poncedeleon has amazing debut

ByBenjamin Chase|
CINCINNATI, OH - JULY 23: Daniel Poncedeleon #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds during a game at Great American Ball Park on July 23, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Poncedeleon threw a no-hitter through seven innings but the Reds won 2-1. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - JULY 23: Daniel Poncedeleon #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds during a game at Great American Ball Park on July 23, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Poncedeleon threw a no-hitter through seven innings but the Reds won 2-1. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
St. Louis Cardinals
CINCINNATI, OH – JULY 23: Daniel Poncedeleon #62 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds during a game at Great American Ball Park on July 23, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Poncedeleon threw a no-hitter through seven innings but the Reds won 2-1. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Fourteen months ago, Daniel Poncedeleon was hoping to have normal life functions again. Monday night, he had an amazing debut for the St. Louis Cardinals.

In a script fit for Hollywood, St. Louis Cardinals righty Daniel Poncedeleon has overcome ridiculous odds to get to the major leagues, and he pitched a tremendous game in his first major league start.

We at CTTP covered Poncedeleon previously when it looked like he was getting called up roughly a month ago. He ended up not throwing a pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals in his three days on the roster.

Monday, he got his first time on a major league mound. Pitching on the road against the Cincinnati Reds, Poncedeleon opened his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals by retiring the side on two fly outs and a ground out on 10 pitches. He was on his way.

In the second inning, he gave up his first walk to catcher Tucker Barnhart. He also allowed a walk to Joey Votto in the 4th and 7th inning.

Then it was done. Seven innings. Daniel Poncedeleon gave the St. Louis Cardinals 116 pitches, 75 of which were strikes. He coerced six fly outs and six groundouts.

He turned over his no-hitter to the bullpen. Unfortunately, Jordan Hicks gave up a single to pinch-hitter Philip Ervin on a sharp single up the middle to lose the no-hitter. However, Hicks would get out of the inning.

Poncedeleon left with a 1-0 lead thanks to an RBI single from his catcher Yadier Molina that drove in the St. Louis Cardinals’ (and baseball’s) hottest hitter, Matt Carpenter. Hicks kept that lead and turned over the game to St. Louis’ closer Bud Norris.

Norris has been recently derided for rookie hazing, which caused a division in the clubhouse that many felt was the final straw in the St. Louis Cardinals making a change at manager.

Norris struck out the first hitter and got Joey Votto to line out. One more out and the game was over, and Poncedeleon had his first major league win. Instead, Eugenio Suarez sent the second pitch of his at bat into the left field seats to tie the game.

Norris gave up back to back singles, then got Adam Duvall to a 1-2 count before Duvall worked a walk to load the bases. Dilson Herrera slapped the next pitch Norris threw to center field, and the game was a walk-off win for the Reds.

So, like a good Hollywood movie, not everything goes the way of the hero in the end, but no one could hang anything negative on Daniel Poncedeleon this night, no matter the outcome!

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Jayson Stark celebrated Daniel Poncedeleon’s magical St. Louis debut the way only a Hall of Fame baseball writer can:

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