Bregman, Diaz homer in the 8th to lift the Astros to a 7-4 victory over the Cardinals

HOUSTON (AP) — Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz scored in the eighth inning, helping the Houston Astros beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 on Monday night.

“It was awesome,” Bregman said. “It was a complete team effort. Having everyone play a big role in this game was huge for our offense.

Bregman tied it at 4 when he made a first drive to stop JoJo Romero (2-1). It was Bregman’s fifth homer in his last seven games and 9th of the season.

“It’s beautiful,” manager Joe Espada said. “That’s it. That’s what we need.

With two outs and Jake Meyers on board, Diaz hit the wall to left for his fourth of the year and his first since April 11.

“It was almost like a weight had been lifted,” Diaz said through a translator. “Baseball is one of those sports that’s so much about confidence and when you go through the time I went through, sometimes some of that confidence goes away. So it felt really good when I hit that home run.

Chas McCormick then reached on an error on shortstop Masyn Winn and slipped to second in front of Jose Altuve’s RBI double.

“The bullpen has been really good and some of these guys are going to have nights like that and you can’t blame them,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “They competed extremely well and JoJo was really good for us, they just had a tough night.”

Rafael Montero (1-1) got three outs for the win and Josh Hader drove in the ninth for his ninth save.

Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer, helping the Astros to victory after Kyle Tucker left in the third inning after fouling his right shin. Tucker said after the game that he was fine and that x-rays were negative.

Nolan Gorman homered twice and Alec Burleson also went deep for the Cardinals, who lost for the third time in four games.

There was one in the first when Burleson sent a Justin Verlander slider into the right field seats. Gorman connected with a two-pointer.

An RBI single by Nolan Arenado made it 3-0 in the third.

Tucker was injured late in the inning and was replaced by pinch hitter Mauricio Dubón, who drew a walk. Alvarez followed with his 12th homer on a drive to right.

Gorman hit his 13th home run of the season with one out in the fifth to make it 4-2.

Alvarez hit a one-out double in the sixth before the Astros cut the lead to 4-3 on a two-out RBI single by Meyers.

Verlander allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings.

Kyle Gibson struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings for St. Louis. He was charged with three runs and five hits.

TRAINERS ROOM

Cardinals: Marmol said RHP Keynan Middleton was visiting a specialist Monday in New York after feeling pain and stiffness in his right forearm. Middleton made five appearances for Double-A Springfield before experiencing setback.

Astros: General manager Dana Brown said Monday that RHP Jose Urquidy is getting a second opinion on his injury amid reports that a second Tommy John surgery is possible. ESPN was first to report the right-hander will visit Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Monday. ESPN reported that Meister is expected to recommend Tommy John surgery. “That’s not the information we have right now,” Brown said. “And that’s why we’re asking for a second opinion.” So we will know more in a few days.