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Astros avoid sweep, top Marlins

Apr 11, 2011 - 12:58 AM Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Michael Bourn and Humberto Quintero had four of the Astros' six doubles while J.A. Happ went 7 2/3 innings in a solid outing, as Houston avoided a three-game sweep with a 7-1 win over the Florida Marlins.

Happ (1-1) gave up one run on four hits while striking out five batters for the Astros, who recorded just their second win in nine games. The starting pitcher also helped his own cause with his first-career two-hit and two-RBI game.

"I pitched aggressively," Happ said. "I just tried to throw for strikes and had some conviction in the pitches I was throwing."

Hunter Pence finished 3-for-5 with a run batted in for Houston.

Logan Morrison knocked in the lone run for the Marlins, who had won the first two games in the series. Starting hurler Anibal Sanchez (0-1) was roughed up in 4 2/3 innings of work for 13 hits and six runs.

"We would have liked to get three here but we got two," Morrison said. "We're still playing well."

With the game tied at one, Houston used back-to-back doubles to take the lead in the fourth.

Brett Wallace started it with a bloop single over shortstop Donnie Murphy's head. Two batters later, Quintero doubled and Happ followed with a two-run double down the left field line to give the Astros their first lead of the game.

Houston then tacked on three runs in the next inning to take control.

Angel Sanchez started the frame with a single, moved to second on Pence's single and scored on Carlos Lee's grounder through the right side of the infield. Wallace grounded into a double play to score Pence and clear the bases.

Bill Hall, though, ripped a two-out triple to center and scored on Matt Downs' double into right to finish the inning.

The Astros got another run in the seventh when Quintero hit a deep ball into left-center that clipped off Chris Coghlan's glove. Hall scored from second before Quintero was tagged out while trying to stretch the hit into a triple.

Meanwhile, the Marlins couldn't get any offense going after starting the game with an Omar Infante one-out double and Morrison's line drive RBI single.

Houston got the run back during their half of first, which was ignited by Bourn's double. He moved to third on a Sanchez single and crossed home on Pence's liner to right field.

Game Notes

Florida pitcher Edward Mujica's first pitch in the seventh drilled Hall and he was ejected immediately by home plate umpire Jim Joyce. Hall took out shortstop Hanley Ramirez with a hard slide during Friday's game...Astros reliever Aneury Rodriguez was tossed after pegging Gaby Sanchez in the ninth...Bourn received his Gold Glove Award before the game. Bourn has won a Gold Glove in each of the last two seasons, making him the first Astros outfielder to win it in consecutive seasons since Cesar Cedeno won five straight from 1972-76...Happ is 5-1 in nine career starts at Minute Maid Park.