Using JJ Wetherholt's 'Little League Grand Slam,' Michael McGreevy Steamrolls Padres

While Cardinals’ rookie JJ Wetherholt recorded a career first with a “Little League Grand Slam” that led to four runs, teammate Michael McGreevy also accomplished the kind of dream-like performance every child ponders on Friday night.

Pitching 60 miles from his San Clemente, Calif., home with several family members and friends in the stands and facing a Padres team he grew up rooting for as a kid, McGreevy was at his absolute best by surrendering just one hit and striking out a career-best nine in six scoreless innings of the Cardinals’ 6-0 throttling of San Diego at Petco Park.

McGreevy (3-2) extended his scoreless streak to 14 innings – the second-longest active scoreless streak in MLB. Having not allowed a hit in his first start of the season against the Rays, just three hits last week against the Dodgers and only one single on Friday, McGreevy has surrendered just 29 hits in 45 1/3 innings pitched this season.

“His changeup was working really well for him and he’s mixing really well to both sides,” Oliver Marmol said to Apple TV as McGreevy got seven swings and misses on his nine changeups.

McGreevy induced a career-best 17 swinges and misses on Friday and all nine of his strikeouts were of the swinging variety. The 25-year-old right-hander pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning and allowed the fewest hits to the Padres by a Cardinals pitcher since Bud Smith fired a no-hitter in San Diego on Sept. 3, 2001.

JJ First Card with 'Little League Grand Slam' in 59 years

McGreevy got all the run support he needed when Wetherholt broke a scoreless tie with a “Little League Grand Slam.” After singling to right field to score Masyn Winn, Wetherholt looked on in shock as Platinum Glover misplayed the ball and it rolled to the wall.