Rather than breaking camp with the Cardinals as they face a daunting opening against the star-studded Dodgers in Los Angeles, pitcher Sonny Gray remained in Florida for much of the next two weeks while he rehabbed his right hamstring.

On Tuesday night, his long awaited debut happened, and it was certainly a sight to see.

Gray’s line in start No. 1 for St. Louis: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 64 pitches/43 for strikes.

Matthew Liberatore, Andrew Kittredge, and JoJo Romero combined to provide the middle relief for Gray. Ryan Helsley then notched his 4th save of the season for the Cardinals. It was his 7th appearance in 12 games total.

Added in with offensive help from Nolan Gorman and Victory Scott II, it was an all-around great effort by the Cardinals as they defeated Philadelphia 3-0. It was the first time since 2019 the Cardinals shutout the Phillies.

(Image: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports)