Herrera's 2-run single keys 4-run outburst in Cardinals' 5-3 victory over Tigers

DETROIT (AP) — Iván Herrera's two-run single capped a four-run fifth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night.

Nolan Gorman, Victor Scott II and Pedro Pagés each scored a run and knocked in another for the Cardinals.

St. Louis starter Kyle Leahy (1-1) gave up two runs and five hits in five innings. Riley O'Brien pitched the ninth for his second save.

Kerry Carpenter led the Detroit offense with his second homer in two days. Tigers starter Keider Montero (0-1) gave up three runs — two earned — and three hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Montero was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Saturday after Justin Verlander was placed on the 15-day injured list due to left hip inflammation. Verlander had been scheduled Sunday to make his first start at Comerica Park in a Tigers uniform since the 2017 season.

Colt Keith led off the Detroit third with a single. Leahy retired the next two batters before Carpenter launched a 425-foot drive to straightaway center field to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals scored their first two runs in the fifth on Pages' RBI single and Scott's squeeze bunt. Herrera smacked his two-out, two-run single off Enmanuel De Jesus.

Javier Báez's sacrifice fly in the sixth cut the Cardinals' lead to 4-3. Gorman's sacrifice fly in the eighth made it 5-3.

Cardinals: RHP Andre Pallante (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Washington.

Tigers: RHP Casey Mize (0-1, 1.50) pitches the opener of a four-game series Monday night at Minnesota.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter hits a two-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Gorman (16) is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on an RBI single by Pedro Pagés in the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Gorman watches after hitting a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg scored 45 points and the Dallas Mavericks ended their longest home losing streak in 32 years at 14 games with a 134-128 victory over the depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.

LeBron James had 30 points and 15 assists for the playoff-bound Lakers, who led for just 13 seconds in the opening minutes of their first game since injuries sidelined Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for the rest of the regular season.

Doncic, the NBA scoring leader, has a left hamstring strain, and Reaves, LA's No. 2 scorer, is out with a left oblique strain. Both were injured in a blowout loss at Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Flagg, who had nine assists and eight rebounds, recorded consecutive 40-point games for the first time two nights after the 19-year-old rookie No. 1 pick scored 51 to become the first NBA teenager with a 50-point outing. Flagg is the first rookie with back-to-back games scoring at least 40 points since Allen Iverson (1996-97 season).

Luke Kennard had his first career triple-double with 15 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and 11 assists for the Lakers, who dropped into a tie for third in the Western Conference with Denver, although LA holds the tiebreaker on the Nuggets. Houston has a chance to get into the third-place mix in the final week of the regular season.

P.J. Washington Jr. scored 13 of his 15 points after halftime for the Mavericks, whose home skid was their longest at 25-year-old American Airlines Center. They lost the first 19 games of the 1993-94 season at since-demolished Reunion Arena.

James scored 16 points in the second quarter, when the Lakers cut a 22-point deficit to six at halftime.

The 41-year-old in his record 23rd season had back-to-back dunks before the break, then a soaring alley-oop slam from Kennard to get the Lakers within 72-70 early in the third quarter. But LA never got closer.

Lakers: Host Oklahoma City on Tuesday.

Mavericks: Visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles against Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) dribbles against Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) runs past Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against Dallas Mavericks defenders John Poulakidas (1), Max Christie (00) and Naji Marshall during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) reacts to a score during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Dallas, Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)