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鈥淚 think he鈥檚 ready to stay here,鈥� Contreras said. 鈥淪traight up.鈥�

鈥淚 agree,鈥� catcher Pedro Pages added from nearby.

After months of McGreevy yo-yoing between levels as an understudy called upon when the Cardinals needed a sixth starter or to cover a doubleheader, the lobbying for him to unpack and stick around started before he took the mound Monday at Coors Field. Manager Oliver Marmol expressed 鈥渉ope鈥� that McGreevy would remain in the majors and not head to Class AAA Memphis this time on the first available flight.

And then the right-hander went out and showed why with a season-high seven innings in a 6-2 victory against Colorado. The Cardinals overcame a two-run deficit, and while Contreras collected a home run and two RBIs, McGreevy got his best results by retiring 11 consecutive Rockies to coincide with the Cardinals鈥� rally.

鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 need to go back to Triple-A,鈥� Contreras continued. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my take, and I鈥檓 going to say it. He鈥檚 ready. He鈥檚 already shown a couple of times, and every time he comes here, he鈥檚 coming to pitch. And he pitches well. If it was my decision, I鈥檇 keep him here.

鈥淗e had a really good tempo,鈥� the former catcher added. 鈥淗e had really good body language, a really good attitude. He鈥檚 willing to listen, willing to learn and always asking questions. He has everybody鈥檚 back.鈥�

Contreras then brushed his fingers over his left forearm.

鈥淚鈥檓 getting chills because every time he鈥檚 here, he鈥檚 a good energy to have around.鈥�

To make room on the active roster for McGreevy on Monday, the Cardinals optioned Gordon Graceffo to Triple-A Memphis. That鈥檚 how it鈥檚 gone all summer for a handful of right-handed pitchers. The Cardinals call for them. The Cardinals use them for multiple innings. The Cardinals return them to Memphis and swap them out for a fresh arm.

Rinse.

Repeat.

They even call it the 鈥渃hurn.鈥� As a starter, McGreevy is more vulnerable to it because he鈥檚 expected to throw multiple innings 鈥� and then not again for five or six days. Him staying in the majors after a start would leave the staff short.

But as the season reached Game No. 101 Monday night, the equation is starting to change and the interest increases to keep McGreevy on staff, possibly in the rotation. By Tuesday, it appeared that Contreras and others were going to get their wish. McGreevy remained with the team and the schedule for his next appearance will be set in the coming days.

The Cardinals are exploring the marketplace to see if there are teams interested in starter Erick Fedde. Part of the motivation for that move ahead of the July 31 trade deadline is to clear a spot in the rotation for McGreevy.

On Monday, Marmol and members of his staff met to discuss adjusting starter Andre Pallante鈥檚 schedule as his workload nears a career high. Pallante is set to start Wednesday against the Rockies. McGreevy will be part of that plan. The right-hander could stay on turn for this weekend start against San Diego at home and allow for the Cardinals to flex or extend Pallante鈥檚 between-start rest as they did for lefty Matthew Liberatore.

They want to be open to McGreevy not giving up his grip on starts.

鈥淚 hope it鈥檚 not a spot start,鈥� Marmol said in his office a few hours before McGreevy鈥檚 first pitch. 鈥淢y hope is that he can stay with us. I hope it works out like that. I think there鈥檚 a lot of value in this next stretch for several reasons for him to get a taste of being around Dusty (Blake) and the pitching staff and game-planning and big league hitters and getting a taste for the ins and outs of that on a consistent basis.鈥�

Beyond the obvious benefits of being around the clubhouse, the service time and the major league salary, there is also the message: He鈥檚 earned it.

The Cardinals have been candid with McGreevy since spring training about how he pitched well enough to open in the big league rotation, but the team was so concerned about its pitching depth that strategically, the team argued, it would be best to use him in a recurring role. At this spot in his career, he could move easily between levels, and the Cardinals bet with his disposition the former first-round pick could handle oscillating between the Cardinals and Redbirds.

While the Cardinals advertised 鈥渞unway鈥� for young players, McGreevy鈥檚 was far more literal as he spent time jetting between levels.

And there was an added degree of difficulty with the role.

His first big league start of this season came against the billion-dollar Mets. His second start, a month later, was against the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. His fourth 鈥� 16 days later 鈥� was against the division-leading Cubs. And then, coming out of the break, the Cardinals dialed up their minuteman starter and brought him to the majors again.

And it鈥檚 Coors.

Time to learn on the job how that sinker works at elevation.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e always got to view every opportunity as a test,鈥� McGreevy said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity to get better each time out, a great time to prove you鈥檙e a big league pitcher.鈥�

鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 do it if we didn鈥檛 think he was mentally tough enough to handle it,鈥� Marmol explained. 鈥淥r we felt like if it didn鈥檛 go well he would be set back by it. He has a strong mentality. The demeanor 鈥� I mean it every time and I lead with that because I know that is what is going to continue to allow him to be good. He is stubborn about just doing what it is that gives him success.鈥�

McGreevy (2-1) gave them plenty of examples Monday.

The Rockies got a base hit to lead off the first three innings against McGreevy. Colorado ran itself out of one rally with two outs on the bases, including one at home plate when the runner tried to advance on a grounder to shortstop. They gave McGreevy a gift in the first inning with a bunt. He then got two ground outs. In the third inning, the Rockies capitalized on an error in center field, two bloop singles and a ground-ball single for a 2-0 lead. McGreevy leaned into his sinker with runners on to get a hotshot grounder that Masyn Winn spun into a double play.

A few feet in any other direction and the inning kept going, and if it did, McGreevy would have stayed with the same stuff until the ball found a fielder.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all the many pitches I鈥檝e thrown in my life and just trying to trust what I feel as a pitcher,鈥� McGreevy said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e never going to be 100% with what the ball is going to do here. There were some sinkers I threw that cut. Just throw it. Pick a spot and just rip it.鈥�

The double play started McGreevy鈥檚 run of 11 consecutive Rockies retired.

During that stretch of four innings, the Cardinals scored in every inning to overtake the Rockies and widen their lead to four runs. And McGreevy started to get a feel for pitching at Coors. The former first-round pick builds his game on sinker command and grounders. He plays a slider off that pitch. Both pitches behaved differently a mile above sea level, and McGreevy had to adjust.

When a single snapped his streak of outs, McGreevy used his curveball more often to finish the seventh inning and pass the game and the lead to the bullpen.

The Rockies did not put any of McGreevy鈥檚 11 curveballs in play.

鈥淭he game gives and takes,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he cutter and curveball were really essential.鈥�

McGreevy, 25, comes straight out of Cardinals central casting: a right-hander from a strong college program who has a sinker and feel for other pitches that allow him to pitch to contact. He got one strikeout in his seven innings Monday. But he also didn鈥檛 walk anyone and scattered seven hits 鈥� all of them singles. Nine of his 21 outs came on the ground, and at least one used the dimensions of Coors Field to its benefit for a fly out. But he鈥檚 not reliant on one pitch to chase meek grounders and that gives him a different look than other contact pitchers.

The Rockies saw six distinct pitches from McGreevy, five of them at least 10 times.

Late Monday night, McGreevy had yet to hear if he should pack up for a flight or, more likely this time, keep ready for a longer spell in the majors.

He made his case.

The manager welcomed it.

Several teammates championed it.

鈥淲hatever happens happens,鈥� McGreevy said. 鈥淚 understand how this business works. I鈥檓 always stoked beyond my mind to get a chance to pitch in the big leagues, and if I stay here for the rest of the year, great. If I go down tomorrow, oh well. You have to smile through it all.鈥�