HOUSTON (AP) — Masyn Winn hit a two-run homer and José Fermín and Alec Burleson added solo shots to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-5 win over the Houston Astros Saturday night.
Winn’s homer made it 4-1 in the third and the second home run of Fermín’s career pushed the lead to 5-1 in the sixth. Burleson’s shot to the second deck in right field in the seventh made it 6-1.
Yordan Alvarez hit his major league-leading ninth homer in the first inning
and Shay Whitcomb hit a three-run homer in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to keep the Astros from losing for the 11th time in 13 games.
Jordan Walker singled in the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and Nolan Gorman had two hits and two RBIs to help the Cardinals to their fourth straight victory.
Andre Pallante (2-1) allowed three hits and a run with a season-high five strikeouts in five innings to get the win for the Cardinals. Riley O'Brien got the last two outs of the game to get his sixth save.
Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1) yielded four hits and four runs, walked three batters and hit two in five innings.
McCullers hit the first two batters with pitches before walking Walker with one out. Gorman hit a two RBI single on a grounder to right field to make it 2-0.
Alvarez cut the lead to 2-1 with his home run to center field with one out in the first.
Gorman singled with one out in the third before Winn’s home run to left field made it 4-1.
Fermín connected off Colton Gordon with one out in the sixth on his shot to the seats in left field to push the lead to 5-1.
St. Louis LHP Matthew Liberatore (0-1, 4.29 ERA) opposes RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 6.55) in the series finale Sunday.
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