Marlins 9, Astros 0
Anibal Sanchez dominated through seven innings and Dan Uggla drove in a pair of runs as the Florida Marlins shut out the Houston Astros 9-0 on Friday.
Emilio Bonifacio added a pair of RBIs and Hanley Ramirez drove in a run and scored twice for the Marlins, who have won four in a row after losing four straight.
Sanchez (10-8) allowed just three hits and walked one while striking out five and needed just 88 pitches to get through seven frames. It looked like he was going to go back out for the eighth inning but a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh - during which Sanchez chipped in an RBI single - made it unnecessary for him to continue.
Sanchez has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts, dropping his season ERA to 3.16.
Florida grabbed a run in the first on Bonifacio’s sacrifice fly but was silenced by Houston starter J.A. Happ (3-2) until after a rain delay in the sixth, when Uggla’s single to right brought in Ramirez and Bonifacio.
The Marlins put it away against Houston’s bullpen in the seventh, getting RBI hits from Sanchez, Ramirez, Bonifacio and Gaby Sanchez during a lengthy rally.
Cody Ross and Hector Luna added back-to-back solo homers in the eighth to complete the scoring.