HOUSTON (Interstat) — Nolan Gorman launched a decisive three-run homer in the seventh inning and Iván Herrera added a two-run blast in the eighth, powering the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night at Daikin Park.

The win improved the Cardinals to 11-8 on the young season, while the Astros fell to 8-13, continuing a sluggish start.

St. Louis struck first against Astros starter Peter Lambert. JJ Wetherholt led off the game with a single, moved to third on an Alec Burleson single and scored on Jordan Walker’s RBI single to center for a 1-0 lead.

The Cardinals extended their advantage in the third, capitalizing on Lambert’s command issues. Wetherholt and Herrera were both hit by pitches, and Burleson walked to load the bases with no outs. After two strikeouts, Masyn Winn delivered a crucial two-run single through the left side, scoring Wetherholt and Herrera for a 3-0 lead.

Houston answered immediately in the bottom half against Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy. Christian Vázquez led off with a solo home run to left field. Two outs later, Yordan Alvarez crushed a towering solo shot to right, trimming the deficit to 3-2.

St. Louis got one back in the fourth. Pedro Pagés doubled to left and advanced to third on a throwing error by left fielder Joey Loperfido. Herrera then drove him in with a sharp RBI single to center, making it 4-2.

The Astros chipped away again in the fifth when Jose Altuve led off the inning with a solo homer to left, pulling Houston within a run at 4-3. That closed the book on Leahy, who earned the win after working five innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six.

The game’s pivotal moment arrived in the seventh. With St. Louis clinging to a 4-3 lead, Burleson led off with a double against reliever Bryan Abreu. After a walk to Walker, Gorman stepped in. On a 1-1 count, he turned on a fastball and sent it deep into the seats in right field for a three-run homer, suddenly stretching the Cardinals’ lead to 7-3 and silencing the crowd of 33,086.

St. Louis put the game out of reach in the eighth against J.P. France. After two quick outs, Wetherholt walked. Herrera, who finished with three RBIs, then connected for a two-run homer to left field, providing the final 9-3 margin.

Houston scraped across a final run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single from Taylor Trammell, but could muster no further rally.

The Cardinals’ bullpen combination of George Soriano, Justin Bruihl and JoJo Romero provided four innings of one-run relief to secure the victory. Lambert took the loss for Houston, surrendering four runs on seven hits over five innings, though he did strike out eight.

The result defied pregame projections, as Houston was both a betting favorite and given a 56.6 percent probability to win by Interstat’s ELO system. The combined 13 runs also sailed over the posted over/under line of 8.5.

Herrera, named the top star for St. Louis, broke out of a minor slump with his 2-for-4, three-RBI performance, which included his second homer of the year. For Houston, Alvarez and Vázquez each homered in the losing effort.

The two teams continue their three-game series Saturday in Houston. The Cardinals will look to build momentum before a road trip to Miami, while the Astros aim to halt their early-season struggles before heading to Cleveland next week.