MIAMI — Short on sleep, the Houston Astros finally stirred in the sixth inning Monday night when Yuli Gurriel hit a grand slam to help beat the Miami Marlins 7-2.
The Astros arrived at their hotel at 5 a.m. after a doubleheader in New York against the Yankees, and were listless and hitless against Dan Straily until the fifth inning.
Josh Reddick doubled in the sixth off Junichi Tazawa (1-1), and after a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases, Gurriel pulled a 94 mph fastball over the fence with two out for a 4-1 lead.
It was the Astros’ second grand slam of the year, and their second in two games. Alex Bregman hit one in Sunday night’s win at Yankee Stadium.
Jose Altuve homered into the Marlins Park home run sculpture in the ninth and drove in three runs.
Joe Musgrove (3-3) allowed one run in 52/3 innings for the Astros (27-12), who climbed 15 games above .500 for the first time since 2005. They have the best record in the majors and are off to the best start in franchise history.
Houston began the game leading the American League in hits and batting average but managed only one hit in five innings against Straily.
The right-hander left the game as a precaution after he was hit near his pitching elbow by a line drive off Evan Gattis’ bat to start the fifth. A bruise just below the elbow was visible almost immediately, but after consulting with a trainer and Manager Don Mattingly, Straily finished the inning.
BRAVES 10, BLUE JAYS 6: Freddie Freeman hit his 13th homer, Nick Markakis had three RBI and Atlanta snapped the Blue Jays’ five-game winning streak with a victory at Toronto.
Matt Kemp had four hits and scored three times for the Braves, who have won three of four.
Freeman matched Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman and Milwaukee’s Eric Thames atop the NL home run leaderboard with a three-run shot off Leonel Campos. Freeman’s long drive to center was the big blow in Atlanta’s four-run sixth.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
INDIANS 8, RAYS 7: Indians starter Carlos Carrasco left early with an injury, but five relievers kept the lead and helped Cleveland hold off visiting Tampa Bay.
Carrasco was pulled because of tightness in his left pectoral muscle after giving up an RBI single to Brad Miller. The right-hander allowed five runs in 32/3 innings and left with Cleveland ahead 7-4.
Boone Logan (1-0), who entered in the fifth, retired both batters he faced. Andrew Miller allowed his first run of the season in the eighth, and Cody Allen gave up a solo homer to Peter Bourjos in the ninth before recording his 10th save.
Lonnie Chisenhall hit a three-run homer when Cleveland scored five times in the first off David Archer (3-2).
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