HOUSTON (Interstat) — Masyn Winn cleared the bases with a double down the third base line in the 10th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals won their fifth straight game, beating the Houston Astros 7-5 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park.

The Cardinals completed a three-game sweep and improved to 13-8, while the Astros fell to 8-15.

The game’s pivotal sequence came in the top of the 10th inning with the score tied 4-4. Facing Astros reliever Bryan King, Iván Herrera began the inning as the automatic runner on second base. After an error and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out, Winn stepped in and drove a 2-1 pitch down the left-field line. The ball rattled into the corner, clearing the bases as Herrera, Jordan Walker and Ramón Urías all scored to give St. Louis a commanding 7-4 lead.

Winn finished the day 3 for 5 with three RBIs, capping a series in which he drove in seven runs.

The Astros mounted a threat in the bottom of the 10th against Cardinals reliever Gordon Graceffo. Automatic runner Dustin Harris advanced to third on a Taylor Trammell single. After a fielder’s choice cut down Harris at the plate, Jose Altuve delivered an RBI single to score Trammell, moving the tying run to first base. Graceffo then induced a game-ending forceout from Christian Walker to secure his first save of the season.

The victory was anchored by a sterling start from left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who delivered his best performance of the young season. Liberatore, named the top star for St. Louis, tossed six strong innings, allowing just one unearned run on three hits while striking out four. He efficiently navigated the Astros lineup, providing crucial stability after allowing four earned runs in each of his previous two starts.

Houston’s lone run against Liberatore came in the third inning. Trammell led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Correa.

St. Louis broke through against Astros starter Mike Burrows in the fifth inning, sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs. The rally started with two outs and nobody on. Winn sparked it with a single, followed by a walk to Nathan Church and an infield single from Pedro Pagés to load the bases. Victor Scott II drew a walk to force in the first run, and JJ Wetherholt followed with a two-run single. Herrera capped the inning with an RBI single, staking the Cardinals to a 4-1 lead.

The Astros, held in check for much of the afternoon, roared back in the eighth against the St. Louis bullpen. With one out, Yordan Alvarez launched a solo home run, his 10th of the season, to right field. Altuve then singled and, after a walk, Isaac Paredes lined a two-run single to right, tying the game at 4-4 and setting the stage for extra innings.

Riley O’Brien earned the win for St. Louis, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. King took the loss for Houston after surrendering the three unearned runs in the 10th.

The game was a tight, back-and-forth affair that saw both teams collect eight hits. St. Louis pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts, while Houston’s staff recorded 10. The contest lasted 3 hours and 10 minutes in front of an afternoon crowd of 33,491.

The Cardinals’ winning streak coincides with improved starting pitching and timely hitting. They will look to extend the run as they open a three-game series at the Miami Marlins on Monday. The Astros, mired in a difficult stretch, head to Cleveland to begin a three-game set with the Guardians, also on Monday.

The final score defied some pregame projections. While Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 6-3 Cardinals victory, its ELO system gave Houston a 54.2 percent probability to win. The Astros had been installed as a 1.5-run favorite, and the combined 12 runs went over the posted over/under line of 8.5.