Zambrano tosses 3-hitter as Marlins top Astros 4-0

HOUSTON — Carlos Zambrano pitched a three-hitter for his first win of the season and Giancarlo Stanton extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-run homer, leading the Miami Marlins to their seventh straight win with a 4-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night.

Stanton’s homer into the Crawford Boxes in left field put Miami up 2-0 in the fourth inning and gives him six home runs and 12 RBIs during his streak. Logan Morrison walked with one out before Stanton went deep.

John Buck extended the lead to 3-0 when he sent the first pitch of the fifth inning into the right field stands. Hanley Ramirez added a solo shot, which bounced off the train tracks above the left center field wall, in the ninth inning to make it 4-0.

It was the first complete game and first shutout for Zambrano since a two-hit shutout against San Francisco on Sept. 25, 2009.

Zambrano (1-2), whose only no-hitter came against the Astros, struck out a season-best nine and never allowed a batter past first base. He walked one and hit two batters while improving to 10-4 in 19 appearances at Minute Maid Park.

Brian Bogusevic singled to left field with no outs in the ninth inning, but Miami turned its third double play of the game on a grounder by Jordan Schafer. Zambrano then struck out Jose Altuve to end it.

Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (3-3) gave up a season-high four earned runs in eight-plus innings. He entered the game having won three straight and had allowed just three runs combined in those starts.

Zambrano hit Schafer on the right leg with a pitch in the sixth inning. Schafer fell to his knees writhing in pain before getting up and walking gingerly to first base while talking with manager Brad Mills and a trainer.

Altuve grounded into a double play to get Zambrano out of that inning. He sailed through the next two frames, retiring six in a row with two strikeouts, to reach the ninth.

Zambrano plunked Altuve on the left elbow with one out in the first inning. But J.D. Martinez struck out and was called for batter’s interference to put Altuve out and end the inning.

Houston’s first hit came when Travis Buck singled to start the third inning, but Zambrano faced the minimum in that inning thanks to a double play before a flyout by Rodriguez.

NOTES: Miami manager Ozzie Guillen became annoyed in his pregame chat with reporters when a Houston reporter asked him if the uproar over his comments about Fidel Castro, for which he was suspended five games, had died down in the last month. He told the reporter to “grow up” while including a couple of curse words. ... Guillen said he’s hoping Heath Bell, who was demoted from the closer’s role last week, can return to that role in the future. “We’re a better ball club if Bell is our closer,” he said. “That’s no doubt and we need him to be our closer.”... RHP Aneury Rodriguez will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday to start against Miami’s Anibal Sanchez.