Diaz capped a four-run third inning with his
fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field
that gave the Astros a 6-1 lead. Diaz hit a tiebreaking, two-run
homer in the eighth inning Monday that carried Houston to
victory in the series opener.
Despite that cushion, the Astros needed insurance runs in the
fourth and seventh innings Tuesday to keep the Cardinals at bay.
Jeremy Pena drove in Alex Bregman with a sacrifice fly in the
fourth to give Houston a 7-2 lead and Victor Caratini knocked in
Jake Meyers to push the Astros' lead to 8-5 in the seventh.
Alec Burleson gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead with his eighth home
run in the first inning. Astros rookie right-hander Spencer
Arrighetti, who gave up the homer, departed after three innings
with a left calf contusion sustained when Ivan Herrera hit a
comebacker off Arrighetti's leg in the second.
Arrighetti allowed one run on three hits and three walks with
four strikeouts. Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (1-2) allowed
six runs, six hits and three walks with a strikeout in three
innings.
Masyn Winn, who finished 3-for-3, hit a two-run homer, his third
of the year, in the sixth off Astros left-handed reliever Parker
Mushinski. Nolan Gorman added his fourth homer in three games
and his 14th of the season an inning later off Astros
right-hander Seth Martinez to slice the deficit to 7-5.
The Cardinals loaded the bases later in the seventh, but Astros
reliever Bryan Abreu retired Brendan Donovan on a called third
strike to escape the threat.
Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Pena recorded two hits apiece
for the Astros. Bregman scored three runs and added a walk. Pena
finished 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs.
Houston right-hander Ryan Pressly worked a perfect ninth inning
for his first save of the year. Tayler Scott (2-2) earned the
win in relief.
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