St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon (62) throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Cincinnati.Β 

 Gary Landers / AP Photo

St. Louis Cardinals rookie DanielΒ Poncedeleon, who had emergency brain surgery 14 months ago, took a no-hitter through seven innings in his major-league debut Monday in Cincinnati.

Poncedeleon struck out three and walked three using 116 pitches. He threw 75 for strikes as the Reds never moved a runner past first base. Harrison Bader pinch hit forΒ PoncedeleonΒ to lead off the eighth inning. The Cardinals led 1-0.

Phillip Ervin broke up the Cardinals' no-hitter with a base hit off reliever Jordan Hicks with one out in the eighth.

"I'm pretty speechless about it,"Β Poncedeleon told MLB Network after the game. "I'm just very grateful for how great my defense is and how lucky I am to get to throw to Yadi (Molina)."

Poncedeleon, now 26 years old, notably suffered a life-threatening head injury in May 2017 while pitching for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. He underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure around his brain after being struck by a line drive, and was inactive for months. He spent spring training this year with the Cardinals in Jupiter, Florida.

Poncedeleon threw three innings over four relief appearances for the Wildcats in 2011, before transferring to Cypress Junior College in California, less than 10 miles from his high school. The Tampa Bay Rays took the right-hander in the 24th round of the 2010 draft but Poncedeleon chose to attend Arizona.

He has a 9-3 record in Memphis this season with a 2.15 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 92 innings and 17 starts. He threw a one-hitter, complete-game shutout on July 15 before the Cardinals called him up Monday.

The Reds draftedΒ Poncedeleon in the 38th round of the 2012 draft, but he chose not to sign and transferred to Houston after a year with Cypress. He was 7-5 with a 4.47 ERA in a team-leading 15 starts for the Cougars in 2013.Β Poncedeleon spent most of the year as the Friday night starter, before transferring again toΒ Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University.Β The journeyman threw 95.2 innings at his last college stop and finished with a 9-2 record and 1.60 ERA.

He improved his draft stock enough for the Cardinals to select him in ninth round in 2014.

St. Louis went on to lose Monday's game to Cincinnati 2-1.

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