First Pitch: 4:10 PM CT
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas Address: 501 Crawford Street, Houston, TX 77002
Weather Update (Houston)
Temperature: ~72–83°F throughout the day
Wind: ~7 mph SSE
Conditions: Warm, mild, hitter‑friendly environment
Injury Report
St. Louis Cardinals
Masyn Winn — shin issue, but starting on April 13 game vs. CLE (active)
No new IL placements reported in the April 18 preview.
Houston Astros
Tatsuya Imai — placed on 15‑day IL (arm fatigue)
Jeremy Peña — placed on 10‑day IL (hamstring strain)
Team Records & Recent Form
St. Louis Cardinals (11–8)
Last 5: W, W, W, L, L
Season Stats (Doc’s Sports):
4.4 runs/game
.231 AVG, .326 OBP, .369 SLG
20 HR, 79 RBI
4.94 ERA, 1.45 WHIP
111 strikeouts, 71 walks
Defense: .987 fielding %, 15 double plays
Houston Astros (8–13)
Last 5: L, L, W, W, L
Season Stats (FOX Sports):
5.6 runs/game
.272 AVG
19 HR
6.50 ERA, .271 opponent AVG
Probable Pitching Matchup
STL — Andre Pallante (RHP)
Record: 1–1
ERA: 5.40
Notes: Ground‑ball specialist; relies on sinker/slider mix
HOU — Mike Burrows (RHP)
Record: 1–3
ERA: 6.55
Notes: High‑strikeout arm (18 K), but struggles with command and hard contact
Key Player Matchups
St. Louis Cardinals
Jordan Walker: .333 AVG, 8 HR, 15 RBI — team leader in all three categories
Ivan Herrera: HR + 3 RBI in April 18 box score
Nolan Gorman: 3 HR, including a 3‑run blast on April 18
Houston Astros
Yordan Alvarez: .333 AVG, 8 HR, 19 RBI — elite power threat
Jose Altuve: HR + RBI on April 18
Christian Vázquez: HR + RBI on April 18
Series History & Context
Cardinals defeated Astros 9–4 on April 18, 2026 (final score)
STL: 10 hits, 2 HR
HOU: 8 hits, 3 HR
Cardinals have won 3 straight entering this matchup (per previous outcomes).
Astros have lost 4 of their last 5 (per previous outcomes).
Betting Trends
Cardinals bullpen: 75% save rate, 15 holds (7th MLB)
Astros pitching: 6.50 ERA, struggling to prevent runs
Cardinals offense: 4.4 runs/game, improving power numbers
Astros offense: 5.6 runs/game, but inconsistent
Game Odds
St. Louis Cardinals 9
Houston Astros – 156
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, April 17, 2026
