(Photo credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

While a handful of sterling defensive plays bolstered the pitching line on Thursday, the Houston Astros unquestionably displayed improved performances on the mound in the final two games of their three-game interleague series against the visiting Colorado Rockies.

The Astros' 3-2 loss snapped their seven-game home winning streak. However, after entering the series with the most runs allowed in the majors, Houston stacked a strong pitching effort on top of its 3-1 victory on Wednesday in advance of a three-game interleague series against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals that begins on Friday.

'We are pounding the zone,' Astros manager Joe Espada said. 'There's a plan, and we just need to be better at executing that. It'll come. We've just got to continue to push and help those guys to get through it.'

Right-hander Peter Lambert will make his season debut for the Astros in the series opener. He posted a 1.84 ERA in three appearances (two starts) with Triple-A Sugar Land before being added to the major league taxi squad on Thursday. Lambert, 28, last pitched in the majors in 2024, when he went 2-5 with a 5.72 ERA in 28 appearances (three starts) for the Rockies.

In his lone career appearance against the Cardinals, Lambert allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings while taking an 8-3 loss with the Rockies on Aug. 23, 2019.

Right-hander Kyle Leahy (1-2, 5.14 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals on Friday. He was the pitcher of record in a 7-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday after permitting two runs on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts over four innings.

Leahy has a 3.18 ERA in three career relief appearances against the Astros. He faced Houston twice last season and allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts in three innings.

The Cardinals won the decisive match of their three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians 5-3 on Wednesday, claiming an afternoon affair after winning in walk-off fashion late Tuesday. St. Louis split its six-game homestand before embarking upon a six-game road trip.

Jordan Walker, who is tied for the major league lead in home runs (eight) and total bases (49), extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a ninth-inning double in the series finale. Rookie JJ Wetherholt smacked a pair of homers in the Tuesday victory before walking twice and driving in a run on Wednesday.

In short order, the Cardinals have showcased a personality they hope will define their season.

'The one thing we wanted to anchor to and be committed to was the style of play and our preparation,' St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. 'And that's what I'll continue to point to when we talk about Walker, JJ ... like all these guys. You're building something that's going to be fun to watch for a long time here, and you have to go about it the right way.

'And that's what we're committed to. Can we win those small moments and continue to stack them? I feel like our group continues to do that, and we can't let up, regardless of what the outcome of the game is. Those are those little moments that we have to continue to win.'

--Field Level Media