Four-run eighth lifts Astros past Cardinals

Yainer Diaz socked a tiebreaking, two-run home run with two outs in the eighth inning to help the Houston Astros complete a 7-4 comeback victory over the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

The Astros pulled even at 4-4 earlier in the eighth when Alex Bregman rallied from an 0-2 hole to drill his ninth home run, a leadoff shot against JoJo Romero (2-1). It was the 174th career homer for Bregman, who tied George Springer for sixth place in club history.

Jake Meyers then singled. Following a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Diaz blasted a first-pitch slider out to left field, his fourth home run covering 393 feet.

Jose Altuve capped the four-run frame with an RBI double off Ryan Loutos.

The Diaz-Romero confrontation marked an in-game reversal for both. Romero entered with two outs and a runner on first in the seventh and fanned Yordan Alvarez to snuff that threat and protect a 4-3 lead. Alvarez was 2-for-2 with a two-run homer and a walk before the strikeout.

Diaz tapped a soft grounder back to Cardinals reliever Andrew Kittredge with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth. Diaz was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts before his game-changing homer.

Four Astros relievers combined to toss four shutout innings. Closer Josh Hader notched his ninth save with a perfect ninth. Rafael Montero (1-1) earned the victory in relief.

Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman clubbed a pair of homers off Astros right-hander Justin Verlander, who surrendered four runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over five innings.

The Cardinals tagged Verlander for two solo homers in the top of the first, with Alec Burleson spotting St. Louis a 1-0 lead with his seventh home run two batters before Gorman socked his 12th homer 407 feet to right-center.

Verlander labored throughout his outing. Nolan Arenado stroked an RBI single in the third inning that scored Paul Goldschmidt, who started a two-out rally with a double, for a 3-0 lead. After Alvarez sliced the deficit to 3-2 with his 12th home run, a shot to right off Cardinals starter Kyle Gibson in the bottom of the third, Gorman stretched the margin back to two runs with his one-out shot in the fifth.

Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker departed in the third inning after fouling a pitch off his right leg.

--Field Level Media