LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Former College of Idaho pitcher Riley O'Brien, now a member of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen, reached two career milestones in a span of just two days this week, earning his first Major League win and first save in back-to-back outings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
O'Brien notched his first career save on Aug. 6, closing out a 5-3 Cardinals victory at Dodger Stadium. Entering with two outs in the eighth inning and the tying run at the plate, he retired four of the five batters he faced over 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and just one walk. His fastball reached 100.1 mph while averaging 98.6 mph, working primarily with sinkers along with sliders and a curveball.
Two nights earlier, on Aug. 4, O'Brien collected his first big-league win after tossing a 1-run eighth inning before St. Louis rallied for the win in the top of the ninth.
The right-hander began the 2025 season in Triple-A before earning a promotion in June, solidifying his role in the Cardinals' bullpen. This year, he has appeared in 24 games, posting a 1.84 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 29? innings.
O'Brien pitched for the Yotes in 2016 and 2017 after transferring from Everett Community College. In 36 appearances (21 starts) over two seasons, he went 9-7 with a 2.70 ERA, striking out 141 batters in 136.2 innings while holding opponents to a .206 batting average.
Drafted in the eighth round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, O'Brien made his big-league debut in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds and later spent time in the Seattle Mariners organization before joining St. Louis.
