Springer's blast lifts Astros over Cardinals
ST. LOUIS -- After carrying a season-high five-game winning streak home, the St. Louis Cardinals resumed their losing ways in Busch Stadium.
George Springer's two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning gave the Houston Astros the lead for good as they completed a two-game interleague sweep with a 4-1 verdict Wednesday night.
St. Louis (35-30), which fell to 15-18 at home after going 55-26 there last year, broke up a scoreless tie in the seventh on a two-out RBI single by pinch-hitter Greg Garcia.
But Springer cracked an 0-1 curve from reliever Kevin Siegrist (4-2) to right-center for his 15th homer, scoring pinch-hitter Evan Gattis, who walked two pitches after Carlos Gomez was picked off first. It was the first hit off a curve allowed by Siegrist this year.
Houston (32-35) tacked on two more runs against Trevor Rosenthal in the ninth with a bases-loaded single by Gomez on a 3-0 pitch.
Tony Sipp (1-2) picked up the final out of the seventh for the win. Ken Giles worked a scoreless eighth and Will Harris pitched the ninth for his fifth save.
Neither starter was involved in the decision despite good outings. The Astros' Collin McHugh worked 6 2/3 innings, yielding seven hits and a run with two walks and six strikeouts.
Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright, who entered the game 13-1 against Houston in his career, fired seven shutout innings. He gave up four hits, walking three and fanning six.
Pitching dominated the game's first half. Houston's Collin McHugh yielded a leadoff single to Matt Carpenter and then retired 11 straight before Stephen Piscotty's leadoff double in the fifth. Piscotty was cut down by several feet by right fielder George Springer as he tried to score on Jhonny Peralta's bloop hit.
St. Louis' Adam Wainwright matched McHugh's five scoreless innings, although he had to wriggle out of a jam in the fifth after Luis Valbuena singled and Carlos Gomez worked a walk to give the Astros two on with none out.
But first baseman Matt Adams turned Jason Castro's one-hopper into a 3-6-3 double play, and Wainwright blew a 92 mph fastball by McHugh to strand Valbuena at third.
NOTES: St. Louis C Brayan Pena (left knee) resumed his rehab assignment Wednesday night at Triple-A Memphis. Pena halted it Tuesday to attend to a personal matter. ... Houston inked six of its picks from last week's draft, including third-round selection Jake Rogers, a catcher. ... St. Louis signed its second first-round pick, OF Dylan Carlson, along with 19 other players to minor league deals. Carlson, who took batting practice with the Cardinals prior to the game, will start his pro career with the Class-A GCL Cardinals.