Peña, Walker, Blanco returns to lineup and help Astros beat Marlins 8-5

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena returned to the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins and hit his second grand slam in an 8-5 victory.

Peña missed Sunday’s loss to Baltimore after leaving Saturday’s loss to the Orioles in the fourth inning due to a right hamstring cramp.

After flying out to left field in his first at-bat of the game, Peña hit a 1-2 fastball from Janson Junk into the right field stands for his seventh home run of the season.

“The goal is to get something in the air, get the run in, and that one just happened to leave the field,” Peña said.

Houston's Christian Walker was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game after exiting Saturday’s game in the fourth inning due to right hip tightness. He entered Monday’s game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and grounded out to third base before finishing the game defensively at first base.

Monday’s win snapped the Astros' four-game skid. They are three games back of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers and 4 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox for the AL’s final wild card.

“It was a tough series that we just played,” Peña said. “We flushed that. Show up today, win the game. Keep going with the momentum. Show up tomorrow, try to win another game, and hopefully this snowballs and we keep going.”

Peña is batting .295 with six home runs and 22 RBIs this season. Two trips to the injury have limited him to just 53 games. He missed more than a month due to a right hamstring strain sustained April 11, and a left calf strain sidelined him earlier this month.

Walker is batting .234 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs this season.

Houston made four roster moves before Monday’s game. Right-hander Ronel Blanco and left-hander Bennett Sousa were reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Left-hander Bryan King and infielder Raynel Delgado were optioned to Triple-A.

Blanco started Monday, 13 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, four earned runs with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Blanco was 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA in nine starts last season before undergoing surgery in June. In his first full season as a starter in 2024, Blanco was 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA, second-best in the American League.

Sousa had been on the injured list since May 6 with left elbow inflammation. He has allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings this season after posting a 2.84 ERA out of the Astros bullpen in 2025.

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