Houston went deep four times and it was the difference in the game.
Daniel McCutchen couldn’t keep the ball in the yard. Houston got three quick runs as Jeff Keppinger and Carlos Lee (two run homer) hit the ball out in the first and third innings respectively. But Houston starter Brian Moehler went down with a groin injury. Gustavo Chacin was summoned from the bullpen and he surrendered the lead. Chacin gave up a lead off double to Garrett Jones in the visitor’s half of the fourth inning. After a walk to Pedro Alvarez, Ryan Doumit had an RBI single. Ryan Church followed with a game tying two run double. Chacin settled in to retire the next three without allowing Pittsburgh to take the lead.
McCutchen was unable to take advantage of his second chance. Lance Berkman hit a solo homer in the fifth inning to push Houston back in front. D.J. Carrasco relieved and gave up a solo dinger to Hunter Pence. Houston tacked on one more in the seventh when Michael Bourn scored on a two out passed ball.
Casey Daigle relieved Chacin and pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Alvarez represented the tying run with two out in the 9th but whiffed against Matt Lindstrom to end the game.
The Good
Jones and Doumit each had three hits.
Bucs collected 11 hits.
The Bad
Bucs stranded 11 runners.
The Rest
No Astro had more than one hit.
Houston hit four homer for the first time since 9/16/09 against Cincy in a game they lost.
Berkman has homered in three straight games.
Houston is now 15th in the NL in homers. The Pirates are last.
Former Buc Jason Michaels was a late defensive replacement in LF and was 0-1.
