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Marlins pound six homers, crush Astros

Apr 12, 2008 - 5:05 AM By Ted Dunnam PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON -- The Florida Marlins never have hit like this and Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt never has pitched like this. And that's why the teams are headed in opposite directions.

Jeremy Hermida hit two of Florida's club-record six home runs as the Marlins defeated Oswalt and the Astros, 10-6, for their fourth consecutive win.

Jorge Cantu, Mike Rabelo, Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs also homered to help the Marlins erase a 3-0 first-inning deficit and send Houston to its third straight loss.

"I felt pretty good today - that's the bad part," Oswalt said. "I looked at two of the home runs on film and the ball was exactly where I wanted to throw it."

Ricky Nolasco (1-0) picked up the win despite allowing six runs and seven hits in five innings.

Oswalt (0-3), who allowed four home runs in a game for the first time in his career, was roughed up for eight earned runs in four innings. He is now winless in his last seven starts dating to last season.

Hermida and Jacobs each hit solo home runs in the ninth off Houston reliever Oscar Villarreal to cap a 14-hit Marlins performance.

Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez certainly didn't expect to feast on one of baseball's best pitchers.

"I thought the first couple of innings the way (Oswalt) went out. ... I thought, Oh boy, it's going to be a long day for our hitters," Gonzalez said. "We hung in there and made him throw some balls over the plate and swung the bat pretty good.

"I'm glad we got out of there with the win. It's tough to beat Roy."

Hermida, who was appearing in just his third game after starting the season on the disabled list, is 5-for-14 with six RBI on the 2008 campaign.

The last thing he expected was to have his first career multi-homer game against Oswalt.

"Definitely not. Roy Oswalt is one of the best pitchers in the game," Hermida said. "His numbers aren't showing that this year but he's still one of the best. Every time you face him it's a tough day.

"I don't like to think of myself as a home run hitter. I just try to play gap-to-gap and hit line drives and every once in a while there's going to be a couple in the same day."

Oswalt remains baffled by his slow start.

"I have never went through this before. Hopefully it will change. I'm going to have to look at the film to see if I'm tipping. It would be more in my glove if that's what I'm doing."

After Alfredo Amezaga singled to score Robert Andino and pull Florida within 3-1 in the third, Hermida followed with a two-run blast - his first of the year - for a 3-3 score. Jacobs then slapped a single to right and Cantu immediately greeted Oswalt with his second home run of the season for a 5-3 Marlins lead.

Florida catcher Rabelo, activated earlier in the day from the disabled list, led off the fourth with another home run, and Ramirez later hit a two-run shot in the inning for an 8-3 cushion.

Lance Berkman hit a solo home run, his third of the season, in the fifth and Geoff Blum added a two-run shot to pull Houston within 8-6.

"Obviously, you don't want your ace to be struggling," Berkman said. "We've never seen Roy struggle for three starts like this.

"But he is a human being. It's just a tough game - he'll bounce back. The important thing is his velocity is still good so we know he's healthy."

The Astros got no closer after Berkman's and Blum's blasts.

"I was a little anxious there in the first," Nolasco said. "I tried to do a little too much a little too quickly, but I tried to settle down after that, and I was able to do that.

"I didn't want to put anybody on for free. To leave the team with the lead ... that's what I wanted to do, but I'm not happy about giving up the home runs. Our hitters are doing a great job. It's always good to pitch with run support like that."

Houston took a 2-0 lead in the first on Berkman's RBI double and Blum's single. The Astros stretched the advantage to 3-0 when Miguel Tejada raced home from second on a fielding error by Jacobs.

After that, the Marlins' bats sizzled.

"We've only played two weeks, but I like the way we're capable of swinging the bats," Gonzalez said. "We'll see what happens tomorrow."