Decisive Eighth-Inning Surge
The Houston Astros pulled away from the Miami Marlins in the final frames of Thursday’s matchup, thanks to a pair of consecutive home runs that shifted the momentum entirely. Alvarez and Paredes connected back-to-back in the eighth inning to extend Houston’s lead, providing the decisive margin in a 5-2 victory at Daikin Park.
Before the late explosion, the game remained tightly contested through the middle innings. Miami took an early 2-0 lead in the third inning when Peña launched a 383-foot home run to left field. The Marlins added another run in the fourth on a double by Sanoja, which allowed Conine to score, followed immediately by Mack singling to left to bring Sanoja home, making it 2-1.
However, the Astros managed to tie the game at 2-2 later in the fourth inning when Mack’s hit drove in Sanoja, setting the stage for a tight defensive battle.
Pitching Duels Define Early Innings
Miami’s starting pitcher, Sandy Alcantara, worked efficiently through the early stages but ultimately could not hold off the Astros’ offense. Alcantara pitched seven innings, allowing nine hits and five earned runs while striking out three batters. He took the loss, dropping his record to 10-6. Calvin Faucher closed out the Marlins' effort by pitching a scoreless eighth inning, recording two strikeouts.
For Houston, Peter Lambert provided a solid foundation for the win. Lambert threw six innings, surrendering six hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts. Enyel De Los Santos entered in relief and pitched a perfect inning, allowing one hit and striking out two batters.
