Peña, Walker, Blanco returns to lineup and help Astros beat Marlins 8-5

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña returned to the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins and hit his second grand slam in an 8-5 victory.

Peña missed Sunday’s loss to Baltimore after leaving Saturday’s loss to the Orioles in the fourth inning due to a right hamstring cramp.

After flying out to left field in his first at-bat of the game, Peña hit a 1-2 fastball from Janson Junk into the right field stands for his seventh home run of the season.

“The goal is to get something in the air, get the run in, and that one just happened to leave the field,” Peña said.

Houston's Christian Walker was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game after exiting Saturday’s game in the fourth inning due to right hip tightness. He entered Monday’s game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and grounded out to third base before finishing the game defensively at first base.

Monday’s win snapped the Astros' four-game skid. They are three games back of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers and 4 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox for the AL’s final wild card.

“It was a tough series that we just played,” Peña said. “We flushed that. Show up today, win the game. Keep going with the momentum. Show up tomorrow, try to win another game, and hopefully this snowballs and we keep going.”

Peña is batting .295 with six home runs and 22 RBIs this season. Two trips to the injury have limited him to just 53 games. He missed more than a month due to a right hamstring strain sustained April 11, and a left calf strain sidelined him earlier this month.

Walker is batting .234 with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs this season.

Houston made four roster moves before Monday’s game. Right-hander Ronel Blanco and left-hander Bennett Sousa were reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Left-hander Bryan King and infielder Raynel Delgado were optioned to Triple-A.

Blanco started Monday, 13 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, four earned runs with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Blanco was 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA in nine starts last season before undergoing surgery in June. In his first full season as a starter in 2024, Blanco was 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA, second-best in the American League.

Sousa had been on the injured list since May 6 with left elbow inflammation. He has allowed three runs in 3 1/3 innings this season after posting a 2.84 ERA out of the Astros bullpen in 2025.

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Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena watches his grand slam off Miami Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Houston Astros' Isaac Paredes (15) and Christian Walker (8) celebrate after a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco delivers to Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

Houston Astros' Christian Walker reacts after getting hit by a pitch on his hand by Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Anthony Nunez during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 17, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's president will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid to bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Joseph Aoun's landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel continue to hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. Lebanon hopes they will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and for the Lebanese military to receive support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.

Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in the area. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement between both countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel’s establishment.

The U.S. State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a “pilot zone” had begun, without giving details on what that entailed. Two of the three villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present there, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh.

The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for an Israeli withdrawal from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it would deploy in the area. The Israeli military said it “will adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,” without specifying the location.

Aoun met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, who said Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement and support the agreement's full implementation. Rubio described the meeting as “very positive” and warned that Lebanon will “never be fully at peace” as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved.

“How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,” Rubio said after the meeting. Skeptics in Lebanon fear that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil war, as government officials have also urged for investment into the country's battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state, which Rubio echoed.

“This is not just about military stuff," he added. "This is about how can we attract more U.S. and international investment into Lebanon.”

The Lebanese military last week increased its presence in some of the areas expected to be included in the pilot zone, including the three villages, with troops patrolling and setting up checkpoints. Though recent talks in Rome have signaled that the agreement’s implementation will begin soon, Israeli troops have not withdrawn from the areas under control.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they plan to keep forces long term in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has dismissed the direct talks brokered by the United States and instead backed Washington’s talks with their key ally and patron Iran to end their war, which also includes ending the war in Lebanon as a condition to bring back calm.

Lebanon’s government came to power on a reformist platform in early 2025, vowing to disarm all non-state groups including Hezbollah. It blames Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war with Israel in March when the militant group fired several rockets toward northern Israel after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

Beirut's leadership, however, has been critical of Israel’s subsequent ground invasion and massive aerial campaign in the country, which killed over 4,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others. While grappling with stark political opposition from Hezbollah and allies within the deeply divided country, Lebanon's leadership insists that Israeli withdrawal and international financial support for Lebanon’s cash-strapped army is crucial for a sustainable security solution.

Lebanese women pass by houses that were destroyed in Israeli strikes during the war with Hezbollah in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A Lebanese army soldier stands at a checkpoint in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Lebanese army soldiers stand at a checkpoint in Froun village, southern Lebanon, Thursday, July 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)