Postgame: Wandy Shuts Down Fish 4-1, Fish Drop in WC and Division

[MiamiHomer]

Discuss.

[Blackout Pact]

I am not pleased.

[Fish and Chips]

this series almost hurt as much as the nats' sweep

[MiamiHomer]

HOUSTON -- When sending Josh Johnson to the mound, the Marlins have grown accustomed to greatness. The All-Star has made quality starts so routine that it is alarming to see the 25-year-old struggle.

Johnson hit a roadblock on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park.

The right-hander surrendered home runs to Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence in the fourth inning, and he was unable to complete five innings in Florida's 4-1 loss to the Astros.

Of Johnson's 25 appearances this season, 20 have been quality starts -- at least six innings and three or fewer earned runs allowed.

Also in the loss, the Marlins had their string of 15 straight games with at least 10 hits snapped. The streak, which finished three shy of the longest in the Major Leagues since 1900, began on Aug. 4.

Astros lefty Wandy Rodriguez limited the Marlins to four hits over eight-plus innings. One of those was an infield single by Hanley Ramirez, who established a career-high hitting streak of 15 games.

After Ricky Nolasco's complete-game victory on Tuesday, the Marlins ended up dropping two of three at Houston. They are now 6 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the National League East. And in the NL Wild Card race, they are four back of the Rockies.

In 4 1/3 innings, Johnson issued four runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

Coming off a one-hit, one-run effort in 7 1/3 innings against the Rockies in his previous start, Johnson began to labor in the fourth inning. He was lifted with the bases loaded.

Johnson was tagged for two home runs in the fourth inning. Lee blasted a two-run homer two batters after Miguel Tejada singled. And Pence went deep to center field, giving the Astros a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth inning, Johnson got into immediate trouble when Humberto Quintero doubled, and Rodriguez, after being unable to drop a sacrifice bunt, ripped an opposite-field RBI double to right. Michael Bourn walked, and with one out, Lance Berkman singled to load the bases. Cristhian Martinez relieved Johnson and induced an inning-ending double play out of Lee.

Johnson off as Marlins fall further back

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

That really sucked. I almost wish I hadn't gone to the game. That was painful.

[Sashimi]

This one hurts. We really cannot afford to lose JJ starts from here on out, given the uncertainty in the rest of the rotation. It's kind of ironic that before the season the rotation was considered the strength of our team and there was much consternation about the bullpen, and in fact the bullpen, in general, has been really strong, and now its our rotation that might do us in.