Cardinals Aim to Sweep Struggling Astros in Sunday Matchup

St. Louis looks to continue their strong road play against the home team Astros.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 6:12am

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A fragmented, geometric painting in bold colors representing the action and intensity of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros.A cubist interpretation of the Cardinals-Astros matchup captures the dynamic energy and competitive spirit of this early-season MLB showdown.Houston Today

The St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros wrap up their weekend series on Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park in Houston. The Cardinals, currently 12-8 on the season, will send Matthew Liberatore to the mound, while the Astros, struggling at 8-14, counter with Mike Burrows.

Why it matters

This game is an important early-season matchup between two teams heading in opposite directions. The Cardinals have won 5 of their last 6 games as underdogs against the Astros and are looking to complete the series sweep, while the Astros have lost 3 straight as favorites and have the worst pitching staff in baseball so far this season.

The details

The Cardinals are batting .234 as a team with a .330 OBP and .385 slugging percentage. Jordan Walker leads the team with 24 hits and 16 RBIs, while Alec Burleson and JJ Wetherholt have combined for 40 hits and 24 RBIs. Liberatore is 0-1 with a 4.29 ERA and 12 strikeouts in his first start against the Astros. The Astros are batting .257 with a .352 OBP and .431 slugging percentage, led by Yordan Alvarez's 26 hits and 20 RBIs. Burrows is 1-3 with a 6.55 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his first career start against the Cardinals.

  • The Cardinals and Astros meet on Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 2:10 PM EDT.
  • This will be the second career game for Liberatore against the Astros.
  • This will be the first career game for Burrows against the Cardinals.

The players

Matthew Liberatore

The starting pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, who is 0-1 with a 4.29 ERA and 12 strikeouts this season.

Mike Burrows

The starting pitcher for the Houston Astros, who is 1-3 with a 6.55 ERA and 18 strikeouts this season.

Jordan Walker

The Cardinals' leading hitter with 24 hits and 16 RBIs this season.

Yordan Alvarez

The Astros' leading hitter with 26 hits and 20 RBIs this season.

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What’s next

The Cardinals and Astros will wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park in Houston. The Cardinals will look to complete the series sweep against the struggling Astros.

The takeaway

This game features two teams heading in opposite directions, with the Cardinals playing solid baseball and the Astros struggling with the worst pitching staff in the league so far this season. The Cardinals' strong road play and history of success as underdogs against the Astros make them an intriguing pick to complete the sweep on Sunday.