Astros reel in Marlins for 8-2 victory

[BronxBomberz]

Just as Dolphin Stadium was beginning to be engulfed in a summer rainstorm Friday night, Eric Bruntlett had the unenviable task of trying to keep his focus while facing Florida Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis. Bruntlett smacked what turned out to be Willis' final pitch of the game into left-center field for the first of his two two-run doubles to lead the Astros past the Marlins 8-2 tonight. Bruntlett's first RBI double in the seventh came just before a downpour forced a 30-minute rain delay, and the Astros didn't stop hitting when play resumed. Bruntlett's second double in the eighth gave him a career-high four RBIs and keyed another three-run inning, and Chris Burke hit a two-run homer in the ninth. The Astros, who have won consecutive games on the road for the first time since June 8-9 at the Chicago White Sox, scored all eight runs in the final three innings. Bruntlett went 3-for-4 and Burke went 3-for-4 with a sacrifice bunt. Astros righthander Roy Oswalt rescued a pitching staff that had given up 53 runs in its previous four games, a club record for a four-game span. Oswalt (11-6) held the Marlins to four hits and one run in six innings. Dave Borkowski gave up one run in the seventh, and Trever Miller and Brian Moehler pitched one scoreless inning in relief. Oswalt escaped a first-inning jam by getting Jeremy Hermida to fly out with the bases loaded. But Hermida blasted a 409-foot solo homer to right field with two outs in the fourth to put the Marlins ahead 1-0. Willis (7-11) had allowed only three hits through six innings before Carlos Lee led off the seventh with a single and went to third on Ty Wigginton's double. As the rain began to intensify, Jason Lane struck out looking. Bruntlett then ripped a two-run double to left-center to put the Astros ahead 2-1 only moments before the tarp was brought out to cover the field. When play resumed, the Marlins had changed pitchers. Matt Lindstrom recorded an out before Orlando Palmeiro's 116th career pinch hit drove in Bruntlett to make it 3-1. Borkowski replaced Oswalt to start the seventh and allowed the Marlins to get within 3-2 on a one-out singled by pinch hitter Todd Linden to score Alfredo Amezaga. The Astros broke the game open with three more runs in the eighth against Justin Miller, who walked Lane with the bases loaded before Bruntlett ripped his second two-run double in as many innings to make 6-2.

Astros reel in Marlins for 8-2 victory | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle