None of that stopped Houston's lineup from doing what it needed to do. The Astros had already snapped a 4-game skid of their own by taking the series opener, and Tuesday they built on it early, scoring in each of the first 2 innings before the game really turned.
A 3-run 5th inning was the difference. Houston pushed its lead to 5-1 in that frame and Imai, shaky as he's been, didn't need to be great with that kind of cushion. Miami clawed back with 2 runs in the 7th to make it interesting, but the Marlins stranded traffic too often, finishing 8-for-8-hits with an error that didn't help their cause.
The bigger story is where Miami's season stands right now. A team that spent June and early July playing like the best in baseball has been unrecognizable since, swept first by Cleveland and then by Milwaukee, and now dropping the first 2 games of this Houston set. Losing streaks happen, but this one is compounding with the Meyer injury and a bullpen already down Ronny Henriquez, Anthony Bender and John King.
Houston, meanwhile, gets to feel decent about a series lead despite its own rotation questions. Imai's control problems are real and will bite them eventually, but for now the lineup is bailing him out and the Astros have a chance to finish off a sweep before this series wraps.