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Astros rally to top Braves

Apr 10, 2012 - 7:34 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Marwin Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and the Houston Astros rallied from an early hole to top Atlanta, 8-3, to keep the Braves winless on the young season.

J.A. Happ (1-0) tossed six solid innings of three-run ball for the Astros, who have won three straight since dropping their season-opener against Colorado.

"We're going to keep on doing what we're doing," said Happ. "The pitching staff has done a good job and we've been scoring runs. It's a good recipe."

Justin Maxwell, claimed off waivers Sunday from the Yankees, smacked a two-tun home run in his first Astros at-bat.

Brandon Beachy (0-1) allowed four runs -- one earned -- on four hits and three walks in five innings for Atlanta, which is 0-4 for the first time since 1988.

"We're not real pretty to watch right now as a team but we'll get it going," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We just need to get some good pitching and some offense going and get a nice little streak going."

Houston rallied from an early 3-0 third-inning deficit to score eight unanswered runs.

Aided by three Atlanta errors, two by third baseman Juan Francisco, the Astros tied the game with three unearned two-out runs in the home third,

Jordan Schafer walked and Jose Altuve reached after Francisco bobbled his grounder. Schafer then made it to third on Francisco's throwing error on the same play.

Travis Buck brought them both home with a ground ball double that just stayed fair down the third-base line. Carlos Lee then plated Buck with a base hit up the middle.

Houston added another two-out run in the home fourth. Gonzalez doubled off the wall in right field and scored on Happ's single through the right side of the infield to make it 4-3.

The Astros plated two more in the sixth. J.D. Martinez singled to bring home Jason Castro and two batters later, Jose Altuve's sac fly plated Gonzalez.

Houston added two insurance runs in the eighth on Maxwell's long home run to left-center field to make it 8-3.

The Braves plated two in the visitor's second on Tyler Pastornicky's first big league RBI, which brought home Matt Diaz. Beachy plated Francisco after Happ was unable to field a slow roller down the third-base side as the ball hit the heel of his glove.

It was 3-0 for the Braves in the third as Prado led off with a stinging double down the left-field line and scored when McCann grounded one through the hole on the right side.

Game Notes

Happ is 3-0 in seven career starts against the Braves...The last Astro to hit a home run in his first at-bat with the club was relief pitcher Gustavo Chacin against the Washington Nationals on May 31, 2010...Houston is 3-1 to start a season for the first time since 2006... Astro starters have posted four consecutive quality starts. The last time they began a season with three or more quality starts was 1997 when Shane Reynolds, Mike Hampton, Darryl Kile and Chris Holt accomplished the feat...The 1988 Braves began 0-10 to start the year.