{"id":380473,"date":"2026-07-21T03:31:39","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T03:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/380473\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T03:31:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T03:31:39","slug":"houston-astros-jeremy-penayordan-alvarez-power-win-over-marlins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/380473\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Astros: Jeremy Pe\u00f1aYordan Alvarez power win over Marlins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Jeremy\u00a0Pe\u00f1a<\/p>\n

Jeremy\u00a0Pe\u00f1a (left) and Yordan Alvarez hit back-to-back homers during a six-run second inning, with the former’s a grand slam as the Astros beat the Marlins\u00a0to end a four-game losing streak.<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez celebrates after his home run off Miami Marlins relief pitcher Lake Bachar during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco delivers to Miami Marlins’ Kyle Stowers during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena warms up during batting practice before a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco winds up to deliver to Miami Marlins’ Kyle Stowers during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco reacts after striking out Miami Marlins’ Graham Pauley during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco delivers to Miami Marlins’ Kyle Stowers during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena celebrates with teammates after his grand slam off Miami Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena, left, and Yordan Alvarez, right, celebrate after their back-to-back home runs off Miami Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez runs up the line on his home run off Miami Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo\"Houston<\/p>\n

Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena watches his grand slam off Miami Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo\/Karen Warren)<\/p>\n

Karen Warren\/AP Photo<\/p>\n

Power for Jeremy Pe\u00f1a skews mostly to his pull side. Just two of the Houston Astros<\/a> shortstop\u2019s 32 home runs over the last two seasons went to the opposite field. None of his first six this year did.<\/p>\n

In the second inning Monday, Pe\u00f1a swung at a 95.8 mph fastball from Marlins right-hander Janson Junk and arced it toward right field. Griffin Conine tracked the baseball to the wall and jumped. It eluded his outstretched glove and opened up a game.<\/p>\n

Pe\u00f1a\u2019s grand slam keyed a six-running inning that propelled the Astros, whose offense had languished all weekend against the Orioles, to an 8-5 win to open a three-game series against Miami at Daikin Park.<\/p>\n

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Yordan Alvarez followed Pe\u00f1a with a solo homer, the first of the slugger\u2019s two on the night, as Houston\u2019s offense backed right-hander Ronel Blanco in his return from elbow surgery<\/a>. Blanco worked 4 \u2154 innings and allowed four runs but exited with a lead.<\/p>\n

Four relievers protected it, with Enyel De Los Santos getting four outs and Steven Okert and Bryan Abreu each stranding two runners in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. Closer Josh Hader threw the ninth with a four-run lead, a sign of urgency.<\/p>\n

The Astros are six games under .500 with 11 games to play until the Aug. 3 trade deadline<\/a>. They entered Monday four games out of first place in the AL West and 4 \u00bd games out of a wild-card spot.<\/p>\n

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Hader allowed three consecutive one-out singles, with Heriberto Hern\u00e1ndez\u2019s sharp grounder off Pe\u00f1a\u2019s glove driving in a run. But a lineout by Xavier Edwards and a pop-out by Liam Hicks, that descended into Pe\u00f1a\u2019s hands, ended a bounce-back for Houston from a lost weekend.<\/p>\n

Second-inning outburst<\/p>\n

After totaling six runs in three games while being swept by Baltimore, the Astros matched that output in Monday\u2019s second inning.<\/p>\n

LaMonte Wade Jr. led off with a six-pitch walk. Yainer Diaz sliced a sinker to right field for a single. Astros hitters went 4-for-27 with men in scoring position against the Orioles. Taking their first such at-bat of this series, Taylor Trammell pulled a single into right. Wade scored on an aggressive send by third-base coach Tony Perezchica when first baseman Kyle Stowers cut off the throw.<\/p>\n

Zach Dezenzo beat the relay on a potential double-play grounder and Lucas Spence, playing in his fourth major-league game, worked a walk to load the bases. Pe\u00f1a, in a 1-2 count, punched a 95.8 mph fastball the opposite way. It carried 340 feet, just over the right-field wall and\u00a0Conine\u2019s outstretched glove, for Pe\u00f1a\u2019s second career grand slam and Houston\u2019s sixth this season.<\/p>\n

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Alvarez then annihilated an 0-2 slider to the second deck in right-center, his 32nd home run of the season leaving his bat at 113.8 mph and traveling 428 feet. Back-to-back blasts capped a six-run inning.<\/p>\n

Blanco returns<\/p>\n

Four hundred twenty-eight days removed from his last major-league start, Blanco made his return to the Astros from an elbow surgery that included both a repair of his ulnar collateral ligament with an internal brace and a repair of his flexor tendon.<\/p>\n

Blanco had thrown 68 pitches in his last minor-league rehab outing, suggesting a limit Monday. Manager Joe Espada said pregame the Astros would \u201ckeep a close eye\u201d on the right-hander. Blanco navigated his 4 \u2154 innings on 86 pitches, allowing four runs but departing with a lead.<\/p>\n

Aspects of Blanco\u2019s outing were encouraging. His fastball averaged 94 mph, compared to a 93.2 mph last season pre-surgery. He struck out eight of 19 hitters faced and generated 18 whiffs, including eight on 16 swings against his changeup, against a lineup with seven left-handed hitters.<\/p>\n

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Eight balls put into play against him did average a 94.8 mph exit velocity. Just two were hits, but both of those cleared the wall. Joe Mack hit a full-count fastball halfway up the second deck in right field for his two-run homer in the second inning. Liam Hicks crushed a 1-2 curveball for a two-run shot in the fourth.<\/p>\n

Both swings followed walks that compounded the damage. Blanco threw 29 pitches in the second inning, not a comfortable sight with a pitcher just back from surgery, but nine-pitch innings buffered it on either side. A 23-pitch fourth all but ensured the fifth would be Blanco\u2019s last.<\/p>\n

He retired its first two batters. But a walk to leadoff man\u00a0Stowers brought Espada out of the dugout. Blanco handed a two-run lead to his bullpen, having completed his road back.<\/p>\n

Two-strike damage<\/p>\n

Alvarez struck each of his first two hits Monday in two-strike counts\u00a0\u2014 a single on a 2-2 fastball from Junk and his home run on an 0-2 slider\u00a0\u2014 continuing a remarkable element of his season.<\/p>\n

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Alvarez struck out in his final at-bat. Still, he finished the night batting .292 with 15 homers in two-strike counts. Entering Monday, the league-wide batting average in two-strike counts was .168.<\/p>\n

Alvarez entered Monday leading the majors in home runs in two-strike counts, with Hunter Goodman of the Rockies one behind him. Alvarez also had the second-highest batting average of any hitter with 50 or more plate appearances that reached two strikes, after Arizona\u2019s Gabriel Moreno.<\/p>\n

Before this season, Alvarez owned a career .194 batting average in two-strike counts. His highest mark in a season was a .237 average in 2023.<\/p>\n

Triple Crown watch<\/p>\n

Alvarez entered the day leading the American League in all three Triple Crown metrics\u00a0\u2014 batting average, home runs and RBIs\u00a0\u2014 and then raised them all.<\/p>\n

A 3-for-4 night improved Alvarez\u2019s average to .324, second-highest among qualified major-league hitters after the Marlins\u2019 Otto Lopez, who is batting .335. Lopez was absent from Miami\u2019s lineup for the second straight game Monday due to finger inflammation.<\/p>\n

This was Alvarez\u2019s 12th game of the season with three-plus hits, tied for most in the majors with Lopez. It was also Alvarez\u2019s fifth multi-home run game this season. He finished the night tied with the Phillies\u2019 Kyle Schwarber for the MLB home run lead at 33. His 75 RBIs trail only St. Louis\u2019 Jordan Walker, who has 76.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jeremy\u00a0Pe\u00f1a (left) and Yordan Alvarez hit back-to-back homers during a six-run second inning, with the former’s a grand…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":380474,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57],"class_list":["post-380473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=380473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380473\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/380474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=380473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=380473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=380473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}