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MIA@CIN: Zambrano fans six in his Marlins debut

A whirlwind start to the 2012 season produced plenty of drama in Miami, but until Gaby Sanchez's walk-off double Friday night, it hadn't yet produced a win for the home team at Marlins Park.

Miami fans hope it's the first of many victories at the new stadium, as the Marlins get the chance to add to that total starting with a Saturday night contest against the Astros in the second game of a three-game set.

Bud Norris will get the ball for Houston, which is facing a familiar foe in Carlos Zambrano. He has plenty of experience against the Astros stemming from his 11 seasons with the division-rival Chicago Cubs.

For the Astros, the righty Norris will be called upon to try and get the starting pitching back on track. Houston began the season with four consecutive quality starts, but the starting pitchers haven't lasted past the fifth in their last three outings.

Norris held Colorado to two runs and four hits over seven innings in a 3-2 win on April 8. He has a 21-24 career record with a 4.29 ERA and is 1-1 with a 6.65 ERA against the Marlins.

His counterpart, Zambrano, was shaky early in his first start, allowing three runs in the first inning, but he settled down to retire 18 of the last 20 Reds he faced. He was tagged with a no decision and is still looking for his first win in a Marlins uniform.

Miami will be managed by Joey Cora for the fourth time this week, as Ozzie Guillen will return from his suspension for making insensitive comments regarding Fidel Castro on Tuesday.

Astros: Lowrie looking to build on impressive Astros debut
Following a brief DL stint because of a sprained right thumb, Jed Lowrie finally made his Astros debut Friday night, and he did so in impressive fashion.

The 27-year-old shortstop went 2-for-3 with two walks, a run scored and an RBI on Friday. In 88 games with Boston last season, Lowrie hit .252 with six homers.

• The Astros kicked off their 2012 road campaign with a result that looked like it belonged in 2011. Houston went 25-56 away from Minute Maid Park in 2011, the worst mark in the majors.

• With an eighth-inning single on Friday night, Astros third baseman Chris Johnson extended his hitting streak to six games. He is batting .310 this season.

Marlins: Morrison set to return after day off
Marlins left fielder Logan Morrison was out of the starting lineup on Friday, but came in as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and singled. He'll be back in the lineup on Saturday.

Morrison had surgery on his right knee in December, and the Marlins are being cautious with him, though they did use him as a pinch-hitter Friday night. He sat out two of the team's first seven games before Friday, and acting manager Joey Cora noted, "we're thinking about October, we're not thinking about April."

In six games this season, Morrison is hitting .235 and has not yet registered an extra-base hit.

• Omar Infante has been red-hot this season and he upped his hitting streak to six games with a pair of hits Friday. Infante is now hitting .367 with three homers.

Worth noting

• Carlos Lee and Carlos Zambrano have an extensive history, and for the most part, the Astros slugger has gotten the better of Zambrano, the former Cub. In 75 plate appearances, Lee is hitting .358 with five homers, 15 RBIs and an OPS of 1.098.

No other Astros hitter has more than nine at-bats against Zambrano.

• After growing up a die-hard Marlins fan, Astros left fielder J.D. Martinez notched the first home run in Marlins Park on Friday night. His two-run homer against his childhood team tied the game in the eighth.

• The Astros have now lost five straight games on the road against the Marlins dating back to August 22, 2010.

• This weekend's series marks the last time Houston will play in Miami as a National League team. Their next trip to Marlins Park will be for an interleague series, as the Astros will shift to the American League in 2013.

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