This story was excerpted from John Denton's Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

With Johan Oviedo’s massive 6-foot-5 frame spilling out of all sides of the laundry cart he was riding to the showers -- where Cardinals teammates would playfully douse him with almond milk, yogurt and apple sauce -- the Cuban-born-and-bred pitcher kept thinking about one thing: Celebrating the biggest moment of his MLB career with his parents and grandparents.

After all, they were the ones always there for him during the low moments when he rarely -- if ever -- enjoyed any sort of high-level success. Also, they were the constant encouraging voices when some executives, scouts and baseball personnel wondered if the hard-throwing right-hander had what it took to ever find success at the MLB level.

So, not long after wiping the tears out of his eyes and the apple sauce out of his ears, Oviedo found a quiet corner of the Cardinals' clubhouse and joined the celebration at the Oviedo home in Cuba already in progress. Not long after Oviedo recorded his first MLB win -- one that allowed him to finally shed a losing streak that he had worn for years like a scarlet letter -- emotion flowed from Milwaukee to Cuba on a video chat with his parents.

“My mom, dad, grandmother and grandfather were there, they were all drinking beers, dancing around and happy. They had the music on, and it was amazing,” said Oviedo of the call placed after pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings against the Brewers for his first MLB win last Wednesday. “They’ve always been big supporters of me since I was a little kid. They’ve always been there for me in the tough times and the good times. I wish they had been here, and we’re all hoping that next year they’ll be able to [move] here.”

Oviedo recently made a big move -- from the starting rotation to the bullpen -- and it might have been one that saved his career. Pressed into duty when he wasn’t ready for the intensity of Major League Baseball, Oviedo went 0-3 in 2020, 0-5 in 2021 and 0-1 in his first start of this season and was winless in his first 19 attempts as a starter, tying Daniel Ponce de Leon for a dubious franchise record. That drought was also one start short of the MLB record for consecutive starts to open a career without a victory.

Following another Minor League stint, Oviedo returned as a middle reliever. Pairing a much-improved focus with his already electric stuff, Oviedo has thrived in that role and given the Cardinals some much-needed help in the middle innings. In three relief appearances over 6 1/3 innings, Oviedo didn’t surrender a run while also striking out five batters. That streak ended on Sunday when he gave up a run to the Cubs, but he’s finally found his confidence after getting his first career win.

“I want to stay hungry, keep working and doing what I did to find success,” he said. “My mind isn’t on that win; I just want to think about going pitch to pitch and keeping it simple.”