Astros fail to react against Marlins as they drop series opener 7-4

On Friday night, the Astros smacked hit after hit, but not at the right time. Everything got together for a 7-4 loss to open the three-game series despite registering 11 hits: Starter Luis García couldn’t hold the Marlins offensively and the hitters went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

In a game that had six home runs, the Astros got the worst part from the beginning as Jazz Chisholm and Jesús Aguilar hit their first home runs of the night to make it 2-0. Almost immediately, Michael Brantley hit a solo shot of his own to leave the score 2-1.

Venezuelan starters García and Pablo López kept the scoreboard intact until the fifth inning, when the Marlins ambushed Houston starter with four runs as a result of Chisholm and Aguilar’s second homers of the contest, this time two two-run dingers to raise the Marlins’ lead 6-1.

García, who took the loss (3-5), lasted only 4 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs, all via the long ball. The three round-trippers allowed are the most for him in any start of his career.

The Astros wasted a good run-scoring chance in the bottom of the sixth inning. With bases loaded and two outs, reliever Steven Okert fell to a 3-0 count against Alex Bregman, but came back to 3-2 and ended up retiring Bregman with a flyout to right field. Bregman is hitting for a .135 batting average (5-for-37, four singles) over his last 10 games.

In the seventh, Kyle Tucker kept his hot streak going with a solo dinger for his 11th home run of the campaign. He’s now carrying a nine-game hitting streak (.387).

The Astros will have a second chance on Saturday afternoon with Framber Valdez on the hill. His counterpart will be also lefty Braxton Garrett.

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