ST. LOUIS _ Moments after Austin Gomber's Major League debut ended, he approached Jack Flaherty in the Cardinals' dugout.
"Did I really just throw three innings?" Gomber asked.
He had. Three hitless, scoreless innings in a close game against a division rival.
"It was kind of a flash _ a blur _ but something I'll never forget," the 24-year-old rookie said after the Cardinals' 3-2 win over the Pirates.
Manager Mike Matheny called on Gomber, who MLB.com ranks as the Cardinals' No. 10 prospect, when starter Luke Weaver left the game after five innings. The Cardinals clung to a 2-1 lead, and Matheny did not want to use setup man Jordan Hicks, who pitched earlier in the series.
Gomber said he was nervous running from the bullpen to the mound, and he walked his first batter in five pitches. That brought up 2016 All-Star Starling Marte, one of the Pirates' biggest offensive threats. Gomber shoved away his nerves and settled in.
Marte fouled off the first two pitches he saw, then chased a slider out of the zone for strike three.
"Once I got to the stretch, once I was able to get Marte out, I kind of took a deep breath and felt a sense of relief," Gomber said.
He forced Pirates first baseman Josh Bell to hit into an inning-ending double play and did not allow a base runner the rest of his appearance. His three innings of work allowed Matheny to give relievers like Brett Cecil and Tyler Lyons a day off.
Before the game, Matheny said a close game would be a "hard baptism" for a pitcher's Major League debut. That ultimately did not stop the manager from entering his rookie left-hander into the game. He even let Gomber have an at-bat so the reliever could pitch another inning.
The Cardinals drafted Gomber out of Florida Atlantic University in 2014. He was named the organization's co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year after winning 15 games for Class A Peoria in 2015.
Gomber earned a call-up to the big leagues in April, but they optioned him back to AAA Memphis before he could appear in a game. He allowed just one run in his past 14 innings of work in the minors. It was enough to earn another call-up when the Cardinals optioned John Gant and placed Alex Reyes on the 10-day disabled list.
"I've played this game for a long time, worked really hard to get here," Gomber said. "It's nice to finally be able to get out there and fulfill a dream."
The Pirates hit the ball hard off Gomber in the eighth, but left fielder Marcell Ozuna leapt into the wall to make a strong catch on a Jordy Mercer shot in the gap.
Though Gomber said his debut went by fast, he intentionally slowed down the game when former Cardinal David Freese pinch hit for the Pirates. Freese was the 2011 World Series MVP and a 2012 All-Star, and the sellout crowd gave him a healthy ovation. Gomber stepped off the mound, allowing Freese to tip his cap to the fans.
"Obviously he's done some pretty special things here, and I felt like he kind of earned that," Gomber said. "The crowd was going nuts for him, and I wasn't going to ruin that moment for him."
Outside of Hicks and closer Bud Norris, Matheny has struggled to find consistency with his bullpen arms. Gomber's presence could help going forward, especially if he pitches the way he did Saturday.
As the 24-year-old walked off the mound in the sixth inning, catcher Carson Kelly extended his hand for a fist bump.
"Congratulations," Kelly said. "Welcome to the big leagues."
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