Astros 8, Braves 3
J.A. Happ
pitched six strong innings and drove in the early go-ahead run, helping Houston
deal Atlanta its fourth straight loss to open the season.
Happ (1-0), who finished the 2011 season with an ugly 6-15 record,
started the new year on the right track, striking out five and walking one.
Happ’s two-out single to right off Brandon Beachy (0-1) in the fourth
scored Marwin Gonzalez, giving the Astros a 4-3 lead. In the sixth, Houston
pieced together four singles to score two more runs and build a 6-3 advantage. J.D. Martinez’s pinch-hit single scored Jason Castro, and then Jose
Altuve brought Gonzalez home with a sacrifice fly.
A season that started with a lot of promise has gotten off to a rocky
start for Atlanta, which actually led 3-0 early in the game.
The Braves are the only 0-4 team in the National League. Dan Uggla and
Brian McCann went a combined 1-for-8 and are now just 3-for-28 on the
season.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Braves
center fielder Michael Bourn, making his first appearance at Minute Maid Park
since being traded from the Astros last July, went 0-for-4 … Houston is 3-1
after starting last season 0-5 … Astros outfielder Justin Maxwell had a
pinch-hit home run to deep left field on his first at-bat of the season in the eighth.