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Marlins-Astros Preview

Apr 22, 2010 - 5:58 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Florida (8-6) at Houston (4-9), 8:05 p.m. EDT

Despite a rough start, the Houston Astros believed it was a matter of time before they'd turn things around.

The Astros try for a fifth consecutive victory to sweep their first three-game series from the visiting Florida Marlins in seven years Thursday night.

Houston (5-9) opened the season with eight straight losses, but has since won five of six to get back on track. The Astros rallied from three runs down to win 5-4 on Wednesday and deal Florida its first losing series of the season.

"People wrote us off early and I think we have a good team," said Astros star Lance Berkman, who's 1 for 8 in two games since returning from knee surgery. "I look at the guys that we have and to me it's a good ball team."

The Astros have done it with depth in this series.

After Jason Michaels' eighth-inning two-run pinch homer helped Houston to a 7-5 win in the series opener Tuesday, Geoff Blum came off the bench to deliver a two-run triple in the seventh inning Wednesday.

"I think they did a good job of keeping a good nucleus on the bench with myself, Michaels and (Jeff) Keppinger," said Blum, who's gone 7 of 17 in his last six games. "I think it's going to be a pretty good mix for us in the long run."

Carlos Lee had two hits and drove in his first run of the season Wednesday. Though Lee is batting .145, he's hitting .356 during an 11-game hitting streak against the Marlins (8-7), who haven't been swept in a three-game set by the Astros since May 2-4, 2003.

The Astros hope Felipe Paulino (0-1, 7.36 ERA) can deliver a strong outing in a bid for the sweep.

Paulino allowed five runs in six innings, including four during a six-run seventh, in a 7-2 loss at Chicago on Friday.

"One inning," Paulino said. "I just have to keep working, forget about it and go forward."

The right-hander is making his first start against the Marlins, who are hoping Anibal Sanchez (0-1, 6.75) can get back on track.

Sanchez has given up five runs in six innings in each of his two starts, the latest when he took the loss in an 8-6 defeat at Philadelphia on Friday.

The right-hander, however, is 1-0 with an 0.75 ERA in two starts against the Astros, but hasn't faced them since 2007.

Florida, which opened its nine-game road trip by taking two of three at Philadelphia, looks to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the season.

"You want to win games, and series. You want to win every game," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I don't care if it is in April or September. But nobody is panicking right now."

Dan Uggla had two hits, and Jorge Cantu singled to extend his hitting streak to 19 games dating to last season. Uggla is 11 for 23 in his last six games, while Cantu is batting .320 during a 12-game hitting streak against Houston.