For the second game, Astros pitching held down the hard hitting Marlins. Wandy had a biting curve and got 7 Ks, typically off the Marlins swinging at the curve in the dirt. His last K in the 7th was on 3 pitches. JR set up the sequence to the pinch hitter Andino, fastball outside corner, dropped the curve over and then the high fastball got him swinging. The only run the Marlins scored was in the 4th when the hard hitting Willingham knocked a fastball over the tracks.
Badenhof was almost as good. He has a Dotel like slider (when Dotel was good) and a hard sinker. But he got in trouble when he went away from those pitches. In the 2nd, the Astros failed to execute a hit and run and removed a runner from the bases. But, with two outs, Erstad doubled and Towles homered on a changeup that was up in the zone.
Bourn followed the next inning, putting a fastball in the seats.
The Astros had another chance to score in the 4th. A double down the line to Pinhead Point and an error on Uggla put runners 1st and 3rd, one out. But Towles grounded 6-4-3.
Strangely the Marlins had no trouble fielding, nor did they complain, when the advertising behind the plate rotated to the white backgrounds for Stub Hub! and Farmers. These ads showed when the Astros were in the field too. It’s nice to be playing against grownups.
Another chance to put the game away happened in the 6th. Bases loaded, no outs, after Blum and Cruz popped up Towles tried to induce a HBP but the ump decided he didn’t try to get out of the way. Towles eventually walked in a run, but karma caught up with him in the 8th when he caught a fastball in the bagwell part of his hand. He left the game for x-rays, no word yet.
Berkman completed the scoring in the 7th, doubling off the visitors bullpen, sending Bourn home from 2nd.
Brocail pitched a solid 8th and Valverde, apparently recovered from his bout with the flu had the 9th. It was not smooth sailing though. With one out and one on, Luis Gonzalez, pinch hitting, popped a foul to the 3b line. Blum came over, Tejada trailing got distracted worrying about who was covering 3rd. He yelled over to Valverde, Blum thought he was calling for it, peeled off and the ball dropped. Gonzo subsequently walked. And it was a little dicey for a while until Valverde got a K and then a lazy fly to left to end it.