It didn't take long for this one to turn into a slugfest. Miami scored twice in the top of the 2nd off Blanco, who was working back from elbow reconstruction and always figured to need an adjustment period. Houston answered with a six-run bottom of the inning that buried the Marlins before the middle innings even arrived, and that was effectively the ballgame.
Miami Marlins at Houston Astros
Mon Jul 207:10 PM CT
By JR·1 min read
TLDR: Houston finally snapped its skid, and it took a returning Tommy John patient and a six-run outburst to do it.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MIA | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
 HOU | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 |
Miami Marlins
- Better overall record at 52-48
- Sharp money stacked on Marlins pregame
- Capable of hanging in low-scoring games
- Riding a 5-game losing streak entering
- Max Meyer freshly on 15-day IL
- Bullpen thinned by multiple pitcher injuries
Houston Astros
- Blanco's return adds a fresh rotation arm
- Bennett Sousa also back to bolster bullpen
- Offense capable of scoring in bunches
- Sits under .500 at 47-54
- Lost 4 of last 5 before this one
- Christian Walker and Correa both out
Ronel Blanco hadn't thrown a big-league pitch since May of last year, and Janson Junk (4-5, 5.09 ERA) came in on the other side trying to slow a Marlins offense that had gone cold. First pitch went off at 7:10 PM CT at Daikin Park, with both staffs banged up enough that neither manager could afford much go wrong early.
Janson Junk
(5-6)·4.58 ERA
Jul 9 vs Mariners
W
5.0IP
1ER
5K
4BB
79P
07/20 Lineup
Ronel Blanco
(0-1)·7.36 ERA
2026 · No starts yet
ND
—IP
—ER
—K
—BB
—P
07/20 Lineup
Neither team had the roster to spare mistakes. Miami is without Max Meyer, freshly on the 15-day IL with a neck strain, and shortstop Otto Lopez sat out with a finger issue. Houston, still trying to plug holes left by Carlos Correa's ankle surgery, played this one without Christian Walker as well. Blanco's return was the marquee subplot walking in, and the market had leaned Marlins before the first pitch even mattered.