Astros 8, Braves 3: J.A. Happ pitched six strong innings and drove in the early go-ahead run, helping Houston deal Atlanta its fourth straight loss to open the season.

Happ (1-0), who finished the 2011 season with an ugly 6-15 record, started the new year on the right track, striking out five and walking one.

Happ’s two-out single to right off Brandon Beachy (0-1) in the fourth scored Marwin Gonzalez, giving the Astros a 4-3 lead. In the sixth, Houston pieced together four singles to score two more runs and build a 6-3 advantage. J.D. Martinez’s pinch-hit single scored Jason Castro, and then Jose Altuve brought Gonzalez home with a sacrifice fly.

A season that started with a lot of promise has gotten off to a rocky start for Atlanta, which actually led 3-0 early in the game.

The Braves are the only 0-4 team in the National League. Dan Uggla and Brian McCann went a combined 1-for-8 and are now just 3-for-28 on the season.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Braves center fielder Michael Bourn, making his first appearance at Minute Maid Park since being traded from the Astros last July, went 0-for-4 … Houston is 3-1 after starting last season 0-5 … Astros outfielder Justin Maxwell had a pinch-hit home run to deep left field on his first at-bat of the season in the eighth.