Peña and Paredes homer, Imai fans eight as Astros get by Marlins 5-3

Published Jul. 21, 2026 11:01 p.m. ET

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Jeremy Pena and Isaac Paredes hit home runs, Tatsuya Imai struck out eight in six innings, and the Houston Astros beat the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Imai (6-4) worked his fifth start with eight or more strikeouts and allowed one run on four hits and three walks. The 28-year-old rookie from Japan has surrendered three or fewer runs in four of his last five outings.

Peña's first-inning homer was originally a double, but the call was overturned by the umpires after video showed the ball hit a railing in left-center.

Lucas Spence extended the lead with a second-inning RBI double, but Kyle Stowers got the Marlins within one in the fifth with an RBI double.

The rally was short-lived, as Christian Vazquez reached on an error, Yordan Alvarez ran out a third-strike wild pitch, and Paredes swung on the first pitch he saw with two outs in the fifth for a 388-foot three-run homer to left field.

Joe Mack hit a 435-foot solo homer for the Marlins in the seventh.

The Marlins turned a 5-4-3 triple play in the eighth, after Jose Altuve hit a soft grounder directly to Leo Jimenez at third. Jiménez fired to Xavier Edwards at second, and Kyle Stowers took the throw at first. It was the first time the Astros hit into a triple play since 2019, and just the second time in franchise history the Marlins turned three.

Tyler Phillips (2-5) allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked one.

The Astros won their second in a row and are 2-3 since the All-Star break, while the Marlins have lost five straight since the break.