Giants sweep Astros
Edgar Renteria tied a career high with five hits and the San
Francisco Giants broke away from the Houston Astros 10-4 Wednesday
to complete a season-opening three-game sweep.
The Giants are 3-0 for the first time since 2003, when they
began with a sweep at San Diego and won seven straight. Houston
last started 0-3 in 2007.
It was 4-all when Juan Uribe doubled in the eighth inning and
scored the go-ahead run when Sammy Gervacio (0-1) threw away a
bunt. The Giants added another run in the inning, then scored four
times in the ninth.
Aaron Rowand had four of the Giants' 19 hits. John Bowker had
a two-run homer and Travis Ishikawa added his first career
pinch-hit home run.
Jeremy Affeldt (1-0) got the win in relief of Matt Cain, who
allowed six hits and three earned runs in 6 2-3 innings.
Astros starter Brett Myers gave up a career-high 12 hits and
four runs in six-plus innings in his Astros debut.
Rowand, the Giants' leadoff man, and Renteria, the No. 2
hitter, each drove in two runs.
Uribe made it 5-4 when he scooted home after Gervacio
overthrew third base on a sacrifice by Eli Whiteside. Rowand had an
RBI single later in the eighth.
Uribe hit an RBI double to highlight the ninth.
The Astros scored three runs in the seventh that made it
4-all. Pinch-hitter Cory Sullivan hit a two-out, two-run triple
that Rowand bobbled before dropping near the hill in center field.
That finished Cain, and the speedy Michael Bourn tied it when he
barely beat the throw on a single off Affeldt.
Rowand tripled in the seventh inning when both Bourn and
Hunter Pence had trouble scooping up the ball. Renteria drove him
in with a single that made it 4-1 and chased Myers.
Bowker's two-run homer that landed in the bullpen in
right-center field in the second. It was his first career hit
against Myers after striking out in his previous three at-bats
against him.
The Giants pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third when Renteria
scored as Mark DeRosa grounded into a double play.
Pedro Feliz doubled twice for the Astros, including an RBI
hit in the fourth.
NOTES: Wednesday was the 10th anniversary of the opening of
Minute Maid Park, then known as Enron Field. Houston lost that game
4-1 to the Phillies. ... Giants OF Fred Lewis, on the disabled list
with a ribcage injury, will begin a rehabilitation assignment on
Thursday with Triple-A Fresno. ... Gervacio injured his shoulder in
the eighth inning.