It was an amazing Major League debut for Palau’s Bligh Madris.
Playing for the first time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Madris drilled a bases loaded single to drive in two runs in the second inning before stealing a base against the Chicago Cubs Monday night in Pittsburgh.
He added a double down the left field line in the 7th and another single in the 9th for an impressive 3-for-4, 2 RBI game. The Pirates won convincingly 12-1.
The Pride of Palau, more specifically, the island of Peleliu, Madris earned his way up the minor league ranks after being drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft in the 9th round.
The 26-year-old right fielder went to high school in Henderson, Nevada and played college ball at Colorado Mesa University but has yet to visit his roots in Palau.