Andre Pallante’s Strong Effort, Cardinals 3 Home Runs Beat Astros 7-5

TL;DR

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Houston Astros 7-5, powered by Andre Pallante's strong pitching and three home runs. Key contributions came from Masyn Winn, José Fermín, and Alec Burleson.

Key points

Cardinals beat Astros 7-5
Andre Pallante pitched 5 innings, allowing 1 run
Three home runs contributed to the win
Masyn Winn, José Fermín, and Alec Burleson hit home runs
Matthew Liberatore will start next game for Cardinals

St. Louis CardinalsHouston Astros

Apr 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Andre Pallante (53) delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images There was a lot to like Saturday night as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros again thanks to a strong effort from Andre Pallante and three home runs. The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead in the 1st inning when JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera were hit by pitches. Nolan Gorman came through with a clutch 2-strike double down the right field line to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead. Andre Pallante provided the Cardinals a very solid 5 inning effort giving up only 3 hits and 1 run, but that 1 run went a long way thanks to Alvarez in the bottom of the 1st inning cutting the Cardinals lead to 2-1. The St. Louis Cardinals offense continues to be relentless as Masyn Winn turned on an inside pitch in the top of the 3rd inning slamming a 2-run homer into the making it 4-1 St. Louis. In the 6th inning, joined the Cardinals home run parade as he also sailed a ball into the Crawford Boxes in left field extending the St. Louis lead to 5-1. decided that the fans in right field deserved a souvenir as he launched a shot into the upper deck making it 6-1 St. Louis. Alec would almost homer twice as he banged a ball high off the left field wall for a double in the 9th. The charitable Astros decided to gift the Cardinals a run in the top of the 8th inning when Gordon threw a wild pitch which scored who had reached on an 8th inning bunt making it 7-1 Cardinals. If it’s any consolation to Houston, it’s that Church would have scored anyway after JJ Wetherholt reached on an infield single down the 3rd base line on a ball that went off the end of his bat. The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen had a solid start to their night as held the Astros scoreless in the 6th and 7th innings. However, entered the game in the 8th and promptly walked Altuve, Alvarez and Correa to load the bases with no outs for . Fortunately, Walker kindly hit into a double play which scored Altuve which made the score 7-2 Cardinals. Svanson did escape the inning only allowing 1 run which was borderline miraculous considering how wild he was. came in to pitch the bottom of the 9th inning. He did a brief Matt Svanson impersonation by walking two batters and then giving up a 3-run blast to Whitcomb. That meant did not get the night off and came in to close out the Astros which he fortunately did. The Cardinals will go for the sweep Sunday afternoon when (0-1 with a 4.29 ERA) starts for St. Louis and (1-3 with a 6.54 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros. First pitch at 1:10pm.

Q&A

What were the key highlights of the Cardinals vs. Astros game on April 18, 2026?

The Cardinals showcased a strong performance with Andre Pallante pitching five solid innings and three home runs from Masyn Winn, José Fermín, and Alec Burleson.

How did Andre Pallante perform against the Astros?

Andre Pallante delivered a strong outing, allowing only 3 hits and 1 run over 5 innings.

What was the final score of the Cardinals vs. Astros game?

The final score was 7-5 in favor of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Who will be pitching for the Cardinals in the next game against the Astros?

Matthew Liberatore is set to start for the Cardinals in their next game against the Astros.