JUPITER, Fla. — A quiet afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium unraveled in the eighth inning as the St. Louis Cardinals scored three runs to turn a tie game into a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
J.P. France started and gave Houston four solid innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four.
The Astros pulled even in the sixth. Jose Altuve singled, Tommy Sacco Jr. followed with a base hit, and pinch-runner James Nelson, who had replaced Carlos Correa, moved to third on a wild pitch. Shay Whitcomb brought him home with a groundout to tie the game at 1-1.
That’s where things stood until the eighth, when Trey Dombroski ran into trouble. Tai Peete led off the inning with a solo homer to put St. Louis ahead 2-1, and Mendoza followed with a two-run shot after Gazdar singled, extending the lead to 4-1. Dombroski took the loss, and his ERA climbed to 11.57.
France, Steven Okert, AJ Blubaugh, and Jayden Murray Teng each delivered clean innings before the late collapse. Blubaugh was particularly sharp, striking out Pedro Pagés after a successful ABS challenge in the sixth.
Houston managed just five hits. Isaac Paredes doubled to open the game, Cam Smith singled, and Altuve and Correa added base hits, but the Astros stranded runners early and couldn’t generate sustained offense.
With Opening Day eight days away, the loss is minor, but Dombroski’s struggles are worth monitoring as the club continues to shape its roster.
