Joshua Báez’s historic debut sets the tone as Cabrera returns for Cardinals-Cubs finale

A historic first weekend in the majors is now a test of staying power. On Saturday, St. Louis rookie Joshua Báez became the first player in MLB history to hit three home runs in his first big league game, a debut that immediately placed him in the middle of the Cardinals’ lineup conversation going forward. In Sunday’s series finale against the rival Cubs, Báez gets a chance to show whether that kind of sudden impact can turn into something repeatable.

The day’s other storyline arrives from the mound, where Cabrera is back for the finale. The matchup is positioned as the next chapter of a Cardinals-Cubs series that carries built-in stakes beyond a single game, because a win can shift who leaves town with the upper hand in a rivalry. MLB’s game preview frames St. Louis as chasing a series win, meaning the Cardinals’ ability to keep momentum after Báez’s landmark debut becomes more than a fun talking point.

For the Cardinals, Báez’s debut created a rare storyline marker, not because of a single big swing but because of the sequence. Three home runs in a first game is an outlier in baseball history, and it tends to do two things at once. It forces pitchers across the league to adjust quickly when they face a new power bat, and it also puts a new pressure on the player and the team to manage expectations after the initial surge fades from the spotlight.

For the Cubs, the finale represents a chance to respond to that kind of debut with control rather than reaction. When a hitter makes MLB history, the immediate adjustment is often tactical, including how pitchers sequence in at-bats and where they try to limit damage. Cabrera’s return to the mound for St. Louis’s side of the matchup places a premium on setting an early tone, especially against a Cardinals team that can turn one inning into multiple scoring chances with the right combination of contact and power.

The game also matters from a baseball rhythm standpoint. A debut like Báez’s compresses a whole set of scouting and preparation habits into a shorter time window than normal. The Cardinals will want to keep the rookie in a lineup role that maximizes his comfort while still treating the rest of the order as more than supportive cast. Meanwhile, St. Louis’s overall approach in the finale, from early at-bats to bullpen decisions later in the game, will be influenced by how quickly Báez’s power shows up again.

Sunday’s matchup starts with a clear narrative: Báez’s historic first game, Cabrera’s return for the finale, and the Cardinals’ pursuit of a series win over the Cubs. What to watch next is whether the Cardinals can turn a once-in-a-generation debut into sustained offensive pressure, and whether Cabrera can keep the Cubs from getting caught in damage-control mode after early contact. If St. Louis’s lineup can replicate even a portion of Saturday’s power output, the pressure shifts immediately onto the next decisions in the Cubs’ pitching order.