Three Homers Power Astros Over Marlin 6-5

Once again, the Astros worked around a subpar start by Cristian Javier, but kept coming back and eked out a win mainly on the strength of home runs by Yainer Diaz, Chas McCormick, and Kyle Tucker.

Javier’s troubles continue. He only got through 4.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned), allowing six hits, one walk, with only two Ks.

The Marlins opened the scoring on Javier in the second inning after Jazz Chisholm Jr led off with a triple and scored on a Bryan De La Cruz single just off the glove of center-fielder Jake Meyers

The Marlins added two more runs in the third inning on a two-run homer by Jorge Soler, his 30th of the year.

However. the Astros inched closer in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by catcher Yainer Diaz against Johnny Cueto, following a Yordan Alvarez double. It was Diaz’s 15th in limited playing time.

But the Marlins increased their lead to two runs in the bottom of the fourth with a Jesus Sanchez RBI single scoring Chisholm Jr.

But the Astros weren’t giving up. They tied the score in the fifth with two singles by Jake Meyers and Mauricio Dubon. Meyers scored on an Alex Bregman fielder’s choice, and Dubon scored on a Kyle Tucker fly to center, originally ruled a triple but later scored an error when the center-fielder and left fielder collided.

However, the Astros promptly gifted the Marlins with an unearned run of their own. A little-league-style double error on what would have been out three by Dubon and Javier allowed Joey Wendle to score from first on what should have been a routine ground out.

But the Astros fought back again in the sixth with a Chas McCormick solo homer.

After a clean inning by Astros relief pitcher Hunter Brown, in the seventh inning, the Astros got their first lead on a 422-foot bomb by King Tuck into the second deck of Home Depot Park.

Brown shut down the Marlins in the seventh, as did Bryan Abreu in the eighth and Ryan Pressly in the ninth for the save to preserve Hunter Brown’s and the Astros’ 6-5 win.

Box score HERE.