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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
HOUSTON (AP) – Eric Owens feels right at home at Enron Field.
|  | | Brad Penny struggled for the first time this season, giving up eight runs in five innings. |
Owens homered in the 10th inning for his career-high fifth hit,
leading the Florida Marlins to a 9-8 victory over the Houston
Astros on Friday night.
Owens went 5-for-6 with four runs scored to improve to improve
to 12-of-19 in four games at Enron.
"I really don't know why I've done so well here," Owens said.
"But when I get to be a free agent, maybe I can come here and play
80 games."
With one out in the 10th, Owens hit a 2-2 pitch from Billy
Wagner (0-1) just over the outstretched glove of right fielder
Moises Alou.
"I just looked at the pitch on the replay tape," Wagner said.
"It was up and away. He just did a good job of hitting it."
Owens raised his average from .213 to .256 with the five-hit
game.
"I guess he'll play tomorrow," Florida manager John Boles
said. "We're going to give him another chance. Owens is a good
player and a good hitter. We knew that."
Antonio Alfonseca (1-1) pitched two innings for the win.
Trailing 8-6, the Marlins rallied to tie the game at 8 in the
eighth. Owens led off with a single.
"Tonight, I started finding some holes," he said. "I've been
horrible. I haven't contributed anything to the team. I knew I was
a better hitter than I've shown. I hope this will be the start."
Cliff Floyd followed with his sixth homer, connecting off Mike
Jackson.
Julio Lugo's fourth-inning grand slam off Brad Penny gave
Houston a 6-5 lead after they trailed 5-0 in the second inning.
Richard Hidalgo added a two-run homer in the fifth, his sixth,
to give the Astros an 8-5 lead against Penny.
Alex Gonzalez hit an RBI double in the seventh to bring Florida
within two.
Astros starter Jose Lima gave up five runs and eight hits in 1
2-3 innings, the shortest outing of his career.
"It's unbelievable," said Lima, who has lasted more than five
innings only once in his five starts this year. "I'm frustrated. I
don't know what to say. Nothing is going right. I'm embarrassed."
Mike Lowell hit a two-run single in the first and a sacrifice
fly in the second off Lima. Preston Wilson added a run-scoring
infield single in the second and Charles Johnson hit an infield
single to knock out Lima.
"He didn't pitch very well," manager Larry Dierker said. "He
did some good things and some bad things. And as always, whenever
any player's in a slump, they hit some groundballs that were just
beyond our reach. When you're trying to dig yourself out of
something like this, it doesn't seem like anybody's helping you."
Hidalgo hit an RBI double and Brad Ausmus had a run-scoring
groundout in the bottom half to make it 5-2.
Penny allowed eight runs and eight hits in five innings.
Game notes
It was the second grand slam of the season for Houston.
Daryle Ward had one Opening Day. ... Floyd was caught stealing in
the fourth inning, but the Marlins still lead the majors in stolen
bases with 24 in 29 tries.
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OTHER GAMES
Baseball Scoreboard
Florida Clubhouse
Houston Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 9
Kansas City 2
Texas 11
Cleveland 9
Detroit 4
Tampa Bay 2
NY Yankees 3
Oakland 2
Toronto 12
Anaheim 4
Seattle 8
Chi. White Sox 3
Minnesota 6
Baltimore 3
Florida 9
Houston 8
Montreal 6
Milwaukee 1
St. Louis 9
NY Mets 0
Cincinnati 12
Colorado 9
Atlanta 9
Arizona 0
Pittsburgh 3
San Diego 0
Chicago Cubs 7
San Francisco 3
Los Angeles 4
Philadelphia 3
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