Making his MLB debut in relief, Cooper Hjerpe struck out six and pitched four perfect innings, and the Cardinals rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Rockies 10-8 in the series finale. The Cards had 15 hits and went 7 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
Cooper Hjerpe’s path to the big leagues over the past 3 ½ years has been about as herky-jerky as the rail-thin left-handed pitcher’s unorthodox, three-quarters throwing motion.
However, it was nothing but smooth sailing for the 2022 first-round draft pick upon arriving in Colorado for his MLB debut on Sunday.
Hjerpe, the 13th St. Louis rookie to make his MLB debut this season, finally became the one pitcher who could slow down the red-hot Rockies at hitter-friendly Coors Field while firing four perfect innings and striking out six to help the Cardinals rally to a 10-8 victory in the finale of the three-game series.
Hjerpe (1-0) picked up his first MLB win while working four perfect innings of relief out of the struggling Cardinals bullpen. He authored the second-longest MLB relief outing in a debut without allowing a base runner since St. Louis native Max Scherzer (4 1/3 innings) in 2008. Also, he became the first Cardinals reliever to debut with six strikeouts in relief since Marshall Bridges did it in 1959 against the Phillies.
"(Nerves are) a good thing, and a little (bit of) butterflies are good because it means it matters," Hjerpe said to Cardinals TV after throwing strikes on 41 of his 54 pitches and getting eight swings and misses even though his velocity never topped 90.6 mph. "I'm just happy to come out here and make my debut and help this team get a (win) at the end of the day."
Trailing 5-1 after starter Kyle Leahy uncharacteristically struggled over 2 2/3 innings of work, the Cardinals’ offense erupted for six runs in the fifth inning and three more in the eighth inning. The Cards, who have scored 47 runs in six games of a road trip where they won two of three against the Dodgers and Rockies, scored times with two outs on the day.
St. Louis went 7 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Ivan Herrera, Friday’s hero with his three-run, game winning homer in the ninth inning, went 3 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored – numbers that gave him 15 hits, three homers and 11 RBI in six games against the Rockies this season.
Alec Burleson (3 for 5, 1 RBI) broke out of a 3-for-32 slump and plated his 103rd run. Nolan Gorman capped the six-run fifth inning with a two-run homer – his ninth long ball of the season. Thomas Saggese (2 for 4) and Joshua Baez (2 for 3) had multi-hit games, while rookie catcher Leo Bernal had a hit, a walk and two RBI.
"This ballpark is different and a four-run lead doesn't feel like a four-run lead," Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol admitted. "A lot of things happen quickly, and you saw their big innings and our big innings. So, you have to continue to add on and our guys did a really good job of that with some really good at bats up and down that lineup. ... Overall, a really solid day."
Hjerpe, who had Tommy John surgery in April of 2025 after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow late in the 2024 season, earned his first MLB strikeout in odd fashion in his first inning of work. His 78.1 mph sweeper to Vimael Machin was originally called a ball, but a challenge by Bernal earned the lefty his first MLB strikeout.
Hjerpe, 25, went on strike out Troy Johnston in the fifth inning on another sweeper and he fanned TJ Rumfield (four-seam fastball) and Mickey Moniak (four-seam fastball) in the sixth inning. Then, he ended the seventh with strikeouts of Connor Norby (sweeper) and Ezekiel Tovar (changeup).
"Honestly, once I got onto the field, I wasn't too nervous because that's when things got to rolling," said Hjerpe, who was doused with a cooler full of sports drink and ice by teammates after the game. "I was definitely locked in. The hardest part is like, between long innings, staying locked in. I just sat on that bench and di whatever I could to lock back in. Obviously, I was happy going four scoreless and each inning I just got happier. And I'm just happy that we got the (win) at the end of the day."
Cooper Hjerpe threw strikes on 41 of his 54 pitches in his MLB debut on Sunday. -- Jim Rassol-USA TODAY SportsHjerpe, who had more than 20 family members and friends in the crowd, credited his strong support system, for helping him through the major elbow surgery that kept him out of the game all of the 2025 season and until July of this season.
"Oh, they've meant the world, especially with that surgery a year and a half ago and they kept me even-keeled, especially my wife," said Hjerpe, a former college standout at Oregon State prior to being drafted No. 22 overall in 2022 by the Cardinals. "Hats off to (the family). They've always been a special bunch, and they've always wanted this for me."
Leahy, a native of suburban Denver and someone whose family had Rockies season tickets while he was growing up, picked a bad time for a poor outing. He came into Sunday having not allowed more than two earned runs over his previous 12 starts. However, he allowed six hits, five earned runs and three-run homer to Moniak in just 2 2/3 innings of work.
