Astros 2, Giants 0: Astros blank Giants for series split

The game the Astros played today had the makeup of the ones they had played the last week, plus. Good starting pitching, low scoring, low batting average - today just ended different - today ended with a win. Only the Astros 2nd of the road stand. The Astros had lost six games by two runs or less on this road stand with the bats only putting up 22 runs (3.1 runs/game) in their seven losses and nine of those runs coming in one game. While the bats didn't do anything special today, only plating 2, Scott Feldman did. Scott Feldman went 6 innings allowing 4 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4. Feldman was fantastic, but his counterpart, young phenom Chris Heston, wasn't to shabby either. Heston went 6 1/3 allowing 3 hits - one of which was a HR - walking 4 and striking out 4.

Heston only allowed a lone run to his Lone Star State opponent, but it was a costly one. With the Astros muting the Giants offense all day, one run was just one run too much. When George Kontos entered the 1-0 ballgame in the eighth, i'm sure he had intentions leaving it like that. Well, he didn't. Jed Lowrie stepped to the plate and squashed a ball into the bay making it 2-0. (It bounced but it still got there) The Astros then called on struggling closer Luke Gregerson to close the game and road trip out, and that he did. He set down the Giants 3-4-5 hitters in order giving the Astros their 62nd win of the year.

The game didn't come without possible costly mishaps.

1. With Preston Tucker on first base, Carlos Correa at the plate and a 3-2 count, Correa, Tucker and the Astros dugout thought Correa had just received ball 4 and walk - that wasn't the case. It was strike 3 and Tucker was trotting to 2nd, Posey fired the ball to 2nd base and got Tucker out by a mile. If The Astros lose this game by a run, this situation would've been mentioned by Astros fans.

2. The Astros performance with RISP. The Astros were 0-4 and this wasn't just a problem today it was a problem all series.

The Astros managed to salvage the series but definitely are happy this road trip is over. The Astros will return with at minimum a .5 game lead of the AL West if the Angels win the next two games and at maximum a 2.5 game lead. The Astros will have their 2nd day off in the last 4 before facing Detroit, Tampa Bay and the Dodgers. Minute Maid Park should be a busy place over the next two weekends with rumors of former AL MVP Miguel Cabrera possibly coming back and when aren't the Dodgers vacuum cleaners for fans? Puig, Greinke, Kershaw will attract a crowd, as always. The Astros can't look ahead but hope to have the same success they did the last time they played a Los Angeles team in Houston. If they do, it will send the Astros on their next road stand with some major confidence; but lets not look to far ahead.