Aug 21, 2009 10:08 am US/Eastern
Marlins Bats Cool Off; Lose To Astros 4-1
HOUSTON, Tex. (CBS4) ―
All good things must come to an end and that includes the Marlins' streak of 15 games with at least 10 hits in the game. Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez bounced back from a bad outing and shut down the Marlins offense in a 4-1 victory Thursday night. Florida's 15 game streak was the best since the St. Louis Browns pulled off the same feat in 1937.
The Marlins couldn't come close to extending their streak against Rodriguez (12-7), who allowed an unearned run, struck out seven and picked up an RBI with an unlikely double. Jose Valverde finished the four-hitter for his 18th save.
"I threw my breaking ball well and I used it a lot," said Rodriguez, who threw 103 pitches. "My location and my breaking ball worked pretty good."
Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence homered against Florida ace Josh Johnson (12-3), who lost for the first time in seven starts.
"I never really got into a rhythm," Johnson said. "I wasn't throwing my slider for a strike and I wasn't throwing my changeup for a strike. So, all I had was a fastball and that is what happens when all you have is a fastball."
Rodriguez's only bad inning was the first, when the Marlins loaded the bases with one out. Geoff Blum fielded Dan Uggla's bouncer and touched third, but Uggla beat the throw to first to score Emilio Bonifacio.
Hanley Ramirez beat out an infield single with two outs in the third to stretch his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. But Florida's offense produced little after that.
"Once he settled in after that first inning, he was terrific," Cooper said of Rodriguez.
Miguel Tejada led off the Houston fourth with a single to right. One out later, Lee homered to left, his 21st of the season and second of the series. Blum grounded out before Pence hit a solo homer to center, his 19th.
Johnson allowed two homers in a game for just the third time in 25 starts this season. He lasted 4 1-3 innings, his shortest outing since July 1.
"It was just one of those days where it seems that nothing is right," Johnson said. "You have to try to get through it, and I just could not get through it."
Humberto Quintero led off the Astros' fifth with a double to the left-field corner. With Florida's defense drawn in, Rodriguez faked a bunt, then drove his second double of the season off the right-field wall for a 4-1 lead. It was only the second RBI of the season for Rodriguez, who came in hitting .091.
Rodriguez retired 15 in a row, five on strikeouts, after Ramirez's single in the third. He threw only 93 pitches through eight innings.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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