The Miami Marlins have now surprisingly got to .500 with a 55-55 record. Often times when a team digs themselves out of a hole to .500 level play, a big down turn occurs. Jose Altuve is the veteran on the Astros team and needs to step up as he has went under his total bases in eight out of his last nine games. Off a road sweep to the Red Sox, Altuve delivers tonight.

The Astros have beaten the Marlins five straight times, but they come into their first game at Miami after getting swept over the weekend at Fenway Park. They'll be facing a hot Sandy Alcantara, who's pitching his best of the year. Alcantara hasn't allowed a run in his last two starts, and Miami has won his last three starts. Miami has won its previous five games. They’ve climbed to .500, six games back of the last NL Wild Card. Jason Alexander is starting his fourth game of the season, facing the Athletics twice and Washington once. The Astros have lost eight of their last 10 games, while Miami has the momentum in its favor. Miami to win.

The red-hot Marlins are back to .500, and on Monday they have a starting pitcher edge with Sandy Alcantara facing Houston's Jason Alexander. Alcantara has not allowed an earned run over his last 14 innings and is relieved to still be with Miami. In three appearances last month, Alexander gave up 18 hits and six walks in 13.2 innings. He'll have to deal with a surging Kyle Stowers (8 RBIs in weekend sweep of Yankees) as Miami seeks its sixth straight win.

The Astros don't look ready for take-off entering Miami, swept on the weekend by the Bosox at Fenway Park while scoring just five total runs. Indeed, the offense has scored three or fewer in eight of ten, and now must face rejuvenated Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, suddenly looking like his old self again in his last two starts, allowing no earned runs and 7 hits across 12 IP in wins over the Padres and Cards. With the exception of Friday's wild 13-12 win over the Yanks, Miami has been playing lower-scoring games lately, too, landing beneath tonight's 8.5 total nine times in the past twelve games. Now, can Joe Espada just get five or so decent innings from starter Jason Alexander? Play Astros-Marlins Under