Houston, TX - Carlos Lee, Morgan Ensberg and Craig Biggio hit home runs and Wandy Rodriguez pitched seven solid innings as the Houston Astros disposed of the San Diego Padres, 7-1, in the opener of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park.
Rodriguez (7-9) yielded just one run on five hits while walking two and striking out five.
Lance Berkman finished with two hits and two runs scored for the Astros, who have won three straight.
Brian Giles had two hits and scored a run for the slumping Padres, who have lost six of seven.
San Diego starter David Wells (5-7) was tagged for seven runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a season-high four walks in just three innings of work.
Mike Cameron’s double to left in the top first scored Giles who led-off with a single.
Houston, though, scored three times in the bottom half. Berkman doubled to center before Lee drilled his 21st homer of the year, a shot to left. Ensberg followed with a homer, his eighth of the season.
Biggio legged out an infield single with one out in the second and Mark Loretta followed with a base hit to left. Biggio then stole third and scored when Berkman smacked a ground-rule double to left.
Wells then gave Lee a free pass, loading the bases for Ensberg, who walked to force home another run and give Houston a 6-1 advantage.
Biggio belted his seventh homer of the year in the third, a bomb to left.
Game Notes
Rodriguez improved to 6-2 with a 1.75 ERA at home. He is 1-7 with a 7.43 ERA on the road…Wells has surrendered 14 earned runs in his last two starts…Brad Ausmus and Luke Scott also hit back-to-back homers for Houston on June 26th at Milwaukee…Houston has won 13 of its last 18 at home…Lefty Joe Thatcher, who came over in the trade that sent reliever Scott Linebrink from San Diego to Milwaukee on Wednesday, made his major league debut and pitched a perfect inning…Clay Hensley, who was called up from Triple-A Portland on Wednesday, pitched three scoreless innings of relief for San Diego…Attendance was 33,718.
