Marlins get a helping Hand in 2-0 win

[July 26, 2014]  HOUSTON -- Miami left-hander Brad Hand and catcher Jeff Mathis had worked in such an exquisite rhythm on Friday night that it seemed just that both played critical roles in the Marlins' fifth victory in six games.

Hand carried a shutout into the eighth inning of his fifth start since returning to the rotation and Mathis delivered the decisive blow in the Marlins' 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Hand (2-2) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out four before departing with one out in the eighth after Astros catcher Jason Castro stroked a double to right field. Right-hander Bryan Morris helped preserve the shutout by inducing right fielder Robbie Grossman to fly out before fanning pinch hitter Jon Singleton with Castro still on second.

Hand reclaimed a spot in the rotation July 3 and worked seven innings in his last start, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk against the San Francisco Giants on July 20. He threw 96 pitches then and was as efficient against the Astros, with 66 of his 97 pitches for strikes.

"We stuck with the game plan right out of the shoot," Hand said. "We were able to get ahead of the guys. I was trying to get easy, quick outs and ground-ball outs.

"Matty (Mathis) called a good game. I don't think I shook him off once today. We just followed the game plan. We didn't really know a lot of these guys coming into the game, so basically, stuck to the game plan we talked about before the game."

The Astros (42-61) went down in order against Marlins closer Steve Cishek in the ninth. Cishek picked up his 25th save for the Marlins (49-53).

Houston was shut out at home for the sixth time this season.

"It was pretty much what we talked about pregame," Astros manager Bo Porter said of Hand. "It was fastballs on the outer third, it was breaking balls to the righties' back foot, and he just attacked the strike zone. I felt like we had some pitched that we could have hit, but we did not put those in play ... efficiently."

Mathis, whose inning-ending 6-4-3 double play snuffed a prime scoring opportunity in the fifth inning, finally broke the stalemate with his two-run, two-out double in the top of the seventh.

Mathis lined a first-pitch changeup from Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel into the left-center field gap, scoring designated hitter Jarrod Saltalamacchia and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from third and first, respectively. Both runs were unearned, however, as Saltalamacchia reached on a fielding error by Astros center fielder Kike Hernandez two batters before Hechavarria beat out a single to shortstop Gregorio Petit.

Keuchel (9-7) had induced an inning-ending double play to escape the sixth, the second consecutive inning in which he allowed the first two batters to reach via hit. He stranded four runners and struck out seven before Mathis, batting .194 heading into his third at-bat, delivered.

"Everything was clear. You saw it," Keuchel said. "A couple of ground balls, one double and give credit to them for taking advantage in the seventh."

Hand proved more efficient than Keuchel, allowing just three baserunners before his teammates produced a lead.

Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve played a critical role in aiding Hand when trouble arose, grounding into an inning-ending double play after a Petit single in the third inning before being thrown out trying to swipe second in the sixth. Altuve was initially ruled safe, but an umpire review reversed the call, closed the inning, and preserved the scoreless tie.

"That was a tremendous effort by Brad tonight," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "He was pounding the strike zone and was in complete control of that game. We'd love to have seen him get through that eighth ... but (Hand) did what we needed him to do. It was fun watching him pitch."

NOTES: Astros manager Bo Porter will announce Saturday night a starter for the series finale against the Marlins. Astros RHP Collin McHugh (right middle fingernail avulsion) is poised for reinstatement from the 15-day disabled list after a rehab start on Tuesday and a successful bullpen session on Friday. ... The Marlins recalled C J.T. Realmuto from Double-A Jacksonville and optioned RHP Anthony DeSclafani to Triple-A New Orleans. Realmuto provides additional backstop depth and enables C Jarrod Saltalamacchia to serve as the designated hitter in an American League ballpark. ... The Astros selected INF Gregorio Petit from Triple-A Oklahoma City and transferred RHP Matt Albers to the 60-day DL. Albers (right shoulder tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day DL on April 25.

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.