Yanier Diaz homers in second straight game to propel Astros past Cardinals

Yainer Diaz of the Houston Astros hits a three-run homer against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

HOUSTON (AP) — Yainer Diaz homered in a second straight game to lead the Houston Astros to an 8-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Playing without star outfielder Kyle Tucker, the Astros got a three-run homer from Diaz in the third inning as they won the first two games of a three-game set with the Cardinals. Diaz hit a two-run homer in Monday’s 7-4 victory.

“Every player wants to contribute to their team, and every player wants to contribute to a win,” Diaz said. “So to be a part of that, it’s awesome.”

Tucker, who left Monday’s game after hitting a foul ball on his right shin, was diagnosed with a contusion and sat out Tuesday night. He is tied for second in the majors with 19 home runs.

“Everyone contributed,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “It’s great to see. Now we need to maintain this consistently. We stay focused and don’t try to do too much. That’s the kind of approach I want to see from our guys.

Houston scored six points against Cardinals starter Andre Pallante (1-2). He allowed six hits and walked three in three innings.

“Overall, he just didn’t get the edge,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s made these guys more important, and it’s a group that knows what they’re doing.” They also had a good approach against him, and that put us in a hole.

Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti allowed three hits and one run in three innings. He was evaluated by trainers in the second half after being hit in the left leg by a 103.8 mph comebacker. He threw 64 pitches and left the game after the third with a bruised left calf.

“It definitely shocked me a little bit when it hit me,” Arrighetti said. “I was able to get my feet back under me for a second. Then we had a long sleeve and it got tighter, so it wasn’t worth pushing, but I think it will be okay.

Astros reliever Tayler Scott (2-2) allowed three hits and one run in two innings. Ryan Pressly pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season.

The Cardinals cut into Houston’s lead with solo home runs by Masyn Winn in the sixth inning and Nolan Gorman in the seventh. Gorman’s homer appeared to graze the glove of a leaping Mauricio Dubón after a fan hit the Astros right fielder.

Alec Burleson scored for St. Louis in the first.

The Astros improved to 3-1 in June but remain six games under .500 (28-34). The Cardinals fell to 3-5 on a nine-game road trip that ends Wednesday.

“We have to play better defensively,” Marmol said. “Sometimes you see guys force a mistake or make a throw where they don’t need to. We have to take care of baseball. Currently we are allowing multiple outs per game.

ASTROS ADD A PITCHER

Houston acquired minor league RHP Nick Hernandez from the San Diego Padres for cash on Tuesday. Hernandez, 29, had a 1.90 ERA in 17 appearances this season for Triple-A El Paso. He appeared in two games for the Padres last season, allowing four runs in three innings.

MEDICAL DELAY

The game was delayed seven minutes in the sixth inning due to a uniformed staff member requiring medical attention in the Astros dugout, the team said.

TRAINERS ROOM

Cardinals: RHP Keynan Middleton will undergo season-ending surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm, Marmol said. Middleton, who signed with the Cardinals during the offseason, experienced forearm discomfort during spring training and began the year on the injured list.

Astros: RHP Cristian Javier is expected to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery on Thursday, the Athletic reported. Javier, 27, is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA.

FOLLOWING

RHP Miles Mikolas (3-6, 5.54 ERA) will start the series finale for the Cardinals on Wednesday. Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (5-1, 2.44 ERA) will look to bounce back from his first loss of the season in his last outing, against Minnesota.