ASTROS RALLY TO DEFEAT CARDINALS

Bregman and Diaz homer in the 8th to lift the Astros to a win over the Cardinals

Bregman and Diaz homer in the 8th to lift the Astros to a win over the Cardinals
Astros defeat the Cardinals, 7-4. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz homered in the eighth inning, helping the Houston Astros top the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 on Monday night.

Bregman tied it at 4 when he hit a leadoff drive to left off JoJo Romero (2-1). It was Bregman's fifth homer in his last seven games and No. 9 on the season.

With two outs and Jake Meyers aboard, Diaz homered off the wall in left for his fourth on the year. Chas McCormick then reached on an error on shortstop Masyn Winn and swiped second ahead of Jose Altuve's RBI double.

Rafael Montero (1-1) got three outs for the win, and Josh Hader worked the ninth for his ninth save.

Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer, helping the Astros to the win after Kyle Tucker departed in the third inning after fouling a ball off his right shin.

Nolan Gorman homered twice and Alec Burleson also went deep for the Cardinals, who lost for the third time in four games.

There was one out in the first when Burleson sent a slider from Justin Verlander into the seats in right field. Gorman connected with two down.

An RBI single by Nolan Arenado made it 3-0 in the third.

Tucker got hurt in the bottom of the inning and was replaced by pinch-hitter Mauricio Dubón, who drew a walk. Alvarez followed with his 12th homer on a drive to right.

Gorman hit his 13th homer of the season with one out in the fifth to make it 4-2.

Alvarez hit a one-out double in the sixth before the Astros cut the lead to 4-3 on an RBI single by Meyers with two outs.

Verlander allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings.

Kyle Gibson struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings for St. Louis. He was charged with three runs and five hits.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Manager Oliver Marmol said RHP Keynan Middleton was visiting a specialist Monday in New York after experiencing pain and stiffness in his right forearm. Middleton made five appearances for Double-A Springfield before experiencing the setback.

Astros: General manager Dana Brown said Monday that RHP José Urquidy is getting a second opinion on his injury amid reports that a second Tommy John surgery is possible. ESPN was first to report the right-hander will visit Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Monday. ESPN reported Meister is expected to recommend Tommy John surgery. “That’s not the information we have right now,” Brown said. “And so that’s why we’re getting a second opinion. So, we’ll know more in a couple of days.”

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Spencer Arrighetti (3-5, 5.98 ERA) opposes RHP Andre Pallante (1-1, 3.94 ERA) when the series continues Tuesday night.

astroshouston astrosmlb

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM

Houston Texans break the bank with latest contract extension

Luis Garcia's rehab hit another bump in the road. Composite image by Jack Brame.

This week started on a high note for Astros fans as they were able to see Lance McCullers return and pitch in a game for the first time since 2022. McCullers looked good, only needing 13 pitches to get through the inning, and didn't allow any runs.

If McCullers continues on this path without any setbacks, we wouldn't be surprised if he's pitching for the big league club at the end of April or early May.

However, the outlook isn't nearly as positive for Luis Garcia, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Garcia was expected to throw a live BP on Thursday, but those plans have now changed. According to multiple reports, Garcia is dealing with elbow soreness and will now see team doctors for further evaluation.

This isn't the first time Garcia has dealt with a setback in his recovery. As Chandler Rome mentions in the post above, Garcia was expected to be ready to return before McCullers. However, complications have apparently forced the Astros to slow down Garcia's rehab, making his status for this season even more uncertain.

Fortunately for Houston, they weren't counting on Garcia or McCullers to start the season in the rotation. But, they were hoping to have both return at some point this year to add more depth to the roster.

If Garcia is shut down from throwing for several weeks, even in a best-case scenario, it's hard to imagine he'll be ready to contribute over the next three months. The Astros would be wise to play it safe with Garcia, the last thing they want to happen is for him to need another surgery.

This also serves as a reminder that pitchers often require more than the typical 12–18 months to recover. Which is why counting on Cristian Javier to contribute this season, feels like a big ask for a player that had Tommy John surgery in June.

houston astrosastros

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome