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Astros, Happ snap long road skid, blank Padres

Jul 17, 2012 - 6:19 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - A pair of Scott Moore sacrifice flies and 6 1/3 solid innings by J.A. Happ helped the Houston Astros blank the San Diego Padres, 2-0, and snap a 13-game road losing streak.

Happ (7-9) fanned four, scattered four hits and walked one for Houston, which had lost four straight and 13 of its last 14 coming in. Happ had lost his last 11 decisions on the road. It's the first away win for the lefty since May 3, 2011.

"I feel like I was definitely hitting the corners pretty good tonight," Happ said.

Jose Altuve had a hit and scored both runs, while Brett Myers notched his 19th save of the year with a scoreless ninth to close the opener of this four- game set.

Kip Wells (1-3) surrendered two runs on three hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings for the Padres, who had won two in a row on the heels of a four-game losing streak entering the contest.

"We just couldn't seem to barrel enough balls off of him," San Diego manager Bud Black said of the team's offensive struggles against Happ.

Houston opened the scoring with a run in the first and added another in the third. Altuve led off the game and belted a double to deep center. He then moved to third on a groundout and scored when Scott Moore lifted a sacrifice fly to left.

It was a similar story in the third as Altuve began the frame with a walk. After stealing second, he advanced to third on Marwin Gonzalez's single and came home on another Moore sac fly to left.

The Padres loaded the bases in the seventh, causing the exit of Happ, who was replaced by Francisco Rodriguez. Everth Cabrera struck out, and pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso flied out to center.

San Diego left a runner at third in the eighth.

With men on first and second with two outs in the top of the ninth, Cameron Maybin robbed Chris Johnson of two potential RBI when he slammed into the wall tracking down a deep fly ball to center.

Maybin slapped a two-out single in the home half, but pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay grounded out to second base to end the game.

Game Notes

San Diego was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base, while Houston was 2-for-14 with RISP and stranded 13...Jordan Schafer stole two bases for the Astros, giving him 22 for the year...Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin was scratched from Monday's game due to a sore knee...San Diego has been shut out nine times this season.