The Stros’ chances for the Wild Card playoff spot were pushed to the brink of extinction Tuesday night as the Giants pounded the Stros decisively 9-2 in City by the Bay.
The loss puts the Stros two games behind the Giants in the Wild Card race, and 1.5 games behind the second place Cubs in that race. The loss stopped the Stros’ four-game winning streak and also allowed the Giants to to close within 1Ω games of the NL West-leading Dodgers, who lost 9-4 to the Padres. The Giants are now 23-8 against the Astros since the 2000 season.
After Bags and Berkman nailed back-to-back yaks in the Stros’ first inning, Brett Tomko (11-6) dominated the Stros as he pitched 8 2/3rds innnings of four hit ball and struck out five and walked three.
The Giants responded to the Stros mini-uprising in the first with three runs in the bottom half on three hits. Incredibly, Stros manager Phil Garner elected to have Carlos Hernandez pitch to Bonds with runners on second and third, and Bonds’ hard roller got past shifted shortstop Jose Vizcaino for an error and two runs. The Giants then batted around in their four-run fourth to put the game away.
Hernandez, who has not won in his last four starts, lasted only only 2 1/3 innings, which is his shortest outing of the season. Brandon Duckworth came in to pitch a couple of innings just to make sure that the Giants would put this game out of reach.
Sore-ribbed Roy O takes the mount tonight in a must win game for the Stros if they are to stay in the Wild Card race. If they can pull this one out, then they can try and figure out how Brandon Backe can outpitch Jason Schmidt in the Thursday afternoon game.