Leonardo Bernal becomes Panama's 73rd major leaguer in Cardinals debut

The moment Leonardo Bernal had waited for arrived on Tuesday, Sept. 1, when the Coclé-born catcher took the field as the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting catcher against the Los Angeles Dodgers. His appearance made him the 73rd player born in Panama to reach Major League Baseball.

Bernal batted sixth and collected the first hit of his major league career in the top of the third inning, driving in two runs. He scored later in the same inning when Nathan Church delivered a base hit. Freddie Freeman, playing first base for the Dodgers, congratulated him when he reached the bag.

Iván Herrera, Bernal’s Panamanian teammate, kept the ball from his first major league hit as a memento of the occasion. Bernal finished 1-for-5 with one run, two RBIs and two strikeouts as St. Louis defeated Los Angeles 13-8.

Herrera also produced at the plate as the Cardinals’ designated hitter, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and two strikeouts. His season batting average stood at .245.

Other Panamanians also played. Edmundo Sosa went 1-for-3 and played left field for the Philadelphia Phillies in a 7-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. José “Chema” Caballero went hitless in five at-bats and struck out three times as the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3. He played shortstop and had a .236 batting average for the season.