The spinning sprinkler spouts
(c) Associated Press
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This weekend in Miami was all about the fifth run. All three games were decided by 5-4 scores and, on Sunday, it was Miami who got to five when Hanley Ramirez drilled a walk-off single over the drawn-in outfield in the 11th inning to win the series and drop Houston's record to 4-5.
J.A. Happ gave up the first homer in regulation play to set off the Marlins' spinning water sprinkler beyond center field. That bomb came from Omar Infante who helped the Astros in the third when a slow roller by Jason Castro squirted through Infante's legs to key a two-run rally.
After a Jose Altuve RBI double, it was 4-2 Houston in the bottom of the eighth when Wesley Wright walked Emilio Bonifacio. Then Ramirez unloaded a monster shot over the center field wall against Wilton Lopez to tie the game and get the sprinkler gyrating again.
Altuve had two hits and two RBIs to lead the attack while J.D. Martinez, Brian Bogusevic and Chris Johnson also had multi-hit games but (recurring theme alert) the Astros failed several chances to pad their lead with the magic fifth run.
Next on the docket is a four-game trip to Washington D.C. to face the surging Nationals. Kyle Weiland (0-1) will try to match fastballs with Stephen Strasburg (1-0) in Monday's 6:05 Central contest.
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