MARLINS 8, ASTROS 3
at Kissimmee, Fla.
Friday, March 21

Marlins at the plate: Luis Gonzelez, playing in place of the injured Jeremy Hermida, was 2-for-4 with a double. Dan Uggla's double in the fourth drove in one of the Marlins' four runs that inning. He homered off Ryan Houston in the eighth to give the Marlins a five-run lead. Uggla had four RBIs on the day.

Astros at the plate: Jose Cruz Jr. knocked a pinch-hit two-run homer in the fifth to put the Astros on the board for the first time. Hunter Pence was 3-for-3 and Reggie Abercrombie had two infield hits and drove in a run with a bases-loaded groundout in the eighth.

Marlins on the mound: Starter Andrew Miller, a contender for the Opening Day start, allowed two runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

Astros on the mound: Starter Roy Oswalt wasn't as sharp as he usually is, yielding four runs on 10 hits over five innings. All four runs scored in the fourth inning after the righty gave up three singles and a double.

Grapefruit League records: Marlins 16-8; Astros 11-13.

Up next for the Marlins: Mark Hendrickson pitches on short rest on Saturday against the Orioles. A front-runner to be the Opening Day starter, Hendrickson is going on four days' rest after he threw six shutout innings against the Dodgers.

Up next for the Astros: Houston will host the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. ET. Right-hander Brandon Backe will start for the Astros, while veteran righty Bronson Arroyo will take the hill for the Reds. The game will mark the first between the two clubs in Kissimmee, Fla., since 1997, before the Reds moved from Plant City to their current home of Sarasota.