ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lars Nootbaar hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning, and Steven Matz pitched five strong innings in his first start of the season to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 4-1 Wednesday.
Matz (1-0) retired the last 15 batters he faced, striking out five, after allowing a run on a pair of singles to lead off the game.
Ryan Fernandez, Kyle Leahy and Phil Maton each pitched a scoreless inning of relief before Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his third save of the season.
Ronel Blanco (1-2) allowed three runs and five hits and three walks in five innings for Houston, which has not won consecutive games this season.
Nootbaar hit his third home run of the season to center field off Blanco in the bottom of the fifth to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.
Victor Scott II put down a bunt single to lead off the bottom of the fifth that just barely stayed fair down the third-base line. It was his major league-leading fourth bunt hit of the season.
Brendan Donovan singled in the fifth inning to extend his major league-best hitting streak to 12 games. That also matches his career high.
Astros: RHP (Ryan Gusto 1-0, 3.00 ERA) is scheduled to face Padres LHP Kyle Hart (2-0, 5.40 ERA) the opener of a three-game series Friday night in Houston.
Cardinals: RHP Andre Pallante (2-0, 2.20 ERA) starts the opener of a four-game series at the New York Mets on Thursday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Houston Astros' Isaac Paredes smiles as he gets a lead off first during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar, left, celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth as teammate Michael Siani, right, stands by inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
St. Louis Cardinals' Thomas Saggese, left, and Lars Nootbaar celebrate a victory over the Houston Astros following a baseball game Wednesday, April 16, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Immigration arrests and tense confrontations with activists continued Sunday in the Twin Cities. That’s four days after the fatal shooting by an immigration officer of a local woman, Renee Good, who stopped during an enforcement operation.
Two Associated Press journalists found several agents on a street in a residential neighborhood in northern Minneapolis. A few dozen neighbors and activists quickly arrived, alerted via one of the messaging groups that have been actively monitoring immigration enforcement activities for months.
Some banged drums, others yelled or made obscene gestures at the agents. One agent appeared to indicate to a person to move away from a vehicle, then sprayed the protester with pepper spray. Eventually agents went up to a small house, where they detained a man on a Department of Homeland Security “warrant for arrest of alien,” and drove him away, weeping. People in the house came outside in short sleeves in subfreezing weather, crying in each other’s arms. They declined to comment.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
A family member reacts after federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - A woman gestures at federal immigration officers as they make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - A woman yells at federal immigration officers as they make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Bystanders film a federal immigration officer in their car Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A family member reacts after federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A family member, center, reacts after federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A family member reacts after federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A man is arrested by federal immigration officers Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Federal immigration officers prepare to make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Bystanders are treated after being pepper sprayed as federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A federal immigration officer deploys pepper spray as officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A woman gets into an altercation with a federal immigration officer as officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
A family member reacts after federal immigration officers make an arrest Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
