After another Barry Zito loss, the Giants rebounded with a 4-2 win over Houston. Matt Cain did a good job, but has still been somewhat inconsistent this year. The Giants need to take advantage of playing at home more than anybody else, it looks as if they might struggle on the road thoughout the season, and are 3-1 so far on this homestand.
Cain was solid tonight, giving up just two runs over eight innings. One of the runs came on a solo homerun by Houston leftfielder Carlos Lee, it was one of the seven hits Cain allowed. Brian Wilson pitched a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout, earning the save. The amount of save opportunities for Wilson has been a surprise, an under-valued closer like him would be a good addition to anybody’s fantasy team.
Leftfielder Fred Lewis has been amazing this season, he was three-for-four last night out of the leadoff spot, missing the cycle by a homerun. The Giants got an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning to give Cain some run support. Shortstop Omar Vizquel drove Lewis in with a double, and was then driven in thanks to a Randy Winn double. Winn also scored on a single by catcher Bengie Molina. Cain also helped himself out with a solo homer in the fifth inning. He is batting well (for a pitcher) overall, near .300.
Rookie Pat Misch will continue to look for his first win tonight in the third game of the four-game series against the Astros at 7:15 p.m. Veteran Brian Moehler will start for Houston. The Giants could be looking to add another bat to the lineup before the trade deadline, a little extra offense could make the difference in all those one-run games. With Vizquel back, the Giants appear to playing better.
