MIAMI _ Suffice it to say, spotting the major league-leading Houston Astros eight runs in the first three innings with an undefeated ace in the midst of an eight-game winning streak isn't a formula for success.
Miami, we have a problem.
Marlins starter Tom Koehler was pounded for seven hits and eight runs before being pulled after three innings to set up Miami's 12-2 loss Tuesday evening at a closed-roof Marlins Park.
The injury-decimated, reeling Marlins, have lost 7 of 8, 10 of 12 and 16 of 20 to continue their free-fall to the bottom of baseball. It's no wonder Yankees great Derek Jeter didn't want to talk about buying the 14-24 Marlins after the Astros spoiled his jersey retirement party Sunday night in a 10-7 win over the Bronx Bombers.
Conversely, the 28-12 Astros, winners of 8 of 9, are off to their best start in franchise history. Astros southpaw starter Dallas Keuchel improved to a major league-best 7-0 with his career-best ninth consecutive victorious decision.
The Astros, who lead the AL in hits and average, pounced on Koehler for five sharp singles and three runs in the first inning. Spotting Keuchel three runs is like giving Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming a furlong head start in Saturday's Preakness as the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner hasn't given up more than two runs in any of his eight starts this season.
Undaunted, the Marlins scratched out two runs of their own in the first that began with a dribbler by Dee Gordon that ended with him on third base after Keuchel's two-base throwing error. J.T. Realmuto, who seems to save his best for the road where he's batting .400, followed with an RBI single.
Marcell Ozuna showed he's more than a slugger by legging out a routine grounder to short. Realmuto scored on Giancarlo Stanton's bouncer to inexperienced first baseman Yuli Gurriel, whose ill-advised attempt to force Ozuna took All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa off the base for another error.
However, Tyler Moore, in for hot-hitting Justin Bour at first base for his right-handed bat against Keuchel despite four homers in his last five games, grounded into a double-play to end a wild first inning.
That was all the Marlins would get off Keuchel, who Astros manager A.J. Hinch wisely took out after five innings of a rout. Keuchel gave up four singles, but only two out of the infield _ both by Realmuto _ to go with four K's and no walks while lowering his ERA to 1.84.
With two outs, Koehler (1-2) walked three straight before Brian McCann laced a bases-clearing double in the second.
Houston's eighth-place hitter Jake Marisnick, looking more like Roger Maris, did the heavy lifting with a pair of center-field, sculpture-denting two-run homers, his first capping off Koehler's forgettable outing in the third.
Koehler threw 83 pitches, 45 for strikes, while walking four and giving up eight earned runs (in 21/3 innings) for the first time since a 14-5 loss to the Brewers on May 1, 2016.
It was Marisnick's first multiple-homer outing of his five-year career which began with the Marlins in 2012 when he was part of the blockbuster, 12-player Jeffrey Loria salary-dump trade with the Blue Jays.
Three Astros relievers no-hit the Marlins over the final four innings.
