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Astros get 6-3 win over Marlins to complete 3-game sweep
Jul 11, 2024, 10:13 pm
Astros sweep the Marlins! Composite Getty Image.
Jake Meyers hit an RBI double and the surging Houston Astros beat the Miami Marlins 6-3 on Thursday night, completing a three-game sweep with their ninth straight victory at home.
Houston has won nine of 12 overall to improve to 49-44.
After coming off the injured list, Jake Bloss allowed four hits and two runs over four innings for the Astros in his second major league start. Tayler Scott (6-2) got the last two outs in the sixth for the win and Josh Hader struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his 17th save.
Bryan De La Cruz and Jazz Chisholm Jr. each hit a solo homer for the National League-worst Marlins, who were swept for the eighth time this season.
Miami rookie Roddery Muñoz (1-4) permitted five hits and six runs — four earned — in 6 2/3 innings. He also had two wild pitches and a balk.
There was one out in the first when De La Cruz homered to left field to put the Marlins up early.
Alex Bregman walked with one out in the bottom of the inning before a double by Yainer Diaz. Houston tied it when Bregman scored on a sacrifice fly by Jon Singleton.
Jeremy Peña’s single on a line drive to right sent another run home to put Houston up 2-1.
Xavier Edwards walked to start the second and moved to second on a wild pitch by Bloss. Another wild pitch left Edwards at third with two outs, and the Marlins tied it when he scored on a single by Nick Fortes.
Trey Cabbage hit a one-out double in the second and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Muñoz. The Astros regained the lead when Cabbage scored on a groundout by César Salazar.
Joey Loperfido walked with no outs in the fourth and scored on a double by Meyers that made it 4-2. Salazar was hit by a pitch with one out before Jose Altuve reached on a fielder’s choice as third baseman Jake Burger committed a fielding error that loaded the bases.
Bregman grounded into a forceout that scored Meyers to extend the lead to 5-2.
Shawn Dubin replaced Bloss to start the fifth and was greeted with a towering home run by Chisholm that made it 5-3.
The Astros added another run in the fifth thanks in large part to sloppy play by the Marlins. Singleton reached to start the inning on an error by right fielder Jesús Sánchez when he dropped a routine fly. There was one out when Singleton moved to second on a wild pitch by Muñoz and then took third on a balk by the right-hander. Houston made it 6-3 when Singleton scored on a sacrifice fly by Loperfido.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: DH/OF Yordan Alvarez was out of the lineup after leaving Wednesday's game in the third inning with tightness in his right hip. But manager Joe Espada said Alvarez was doing OK and sat out as a precaution. … Altuve will skip next week’s All-Star Game to rest his sore left hand. He missed one game before returning to the lineup after being hit on the hand by a pitch last Friday.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Yonny Chirinos (0-0, 4.19 ERA) opposes Cincinnati RHP Carson Spiers 2-2, 3.64) in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
Astros: RHP Hunter Brown (6-6, 4.48 ERA) faces Texas LHP Andrew Heaney (3-9, 3.80) on Friday night.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.