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Berkman, Ausmus help Astros top Giants

May 15, 2008 - 6:51 AM By Ryan McCrary PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) - Lance Berkman and Brad Ausmus each hit two-run home runs to lift the Houston Astros to a 6-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.

Miguel Tejada had three hits and drove in two runs for the Astros, who have won 10 of their last 12 games and have gone 5-1 during their current 10-game road trip.

After Tejada opened the scoring with an RBI single, Berkman's second home run of the series and 14th of the season gave Houston a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The blast also extended Berkman's hitting streak to 13 games.

"It was right there," Giants starter Patrick Misch said. "He doesn't hit that, he's probably kicking himself."

Berkman continued his torrid pace and now has driven in 40 runs this season - 17 coming in his current hitting streak - and the slugger leads the majors with 31 extra-base hits.

San Francisco rallied in the second as the first four batters to face Houston starter Brian Moehler recorded hits. Aaron Rowand helped the Giants erase the deficit with a two-run home run in the second and John Bowker scored on Moehler's throwing error to tie the game at 3-3.

"It was a good win for us and one we really had to have tonight," Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. "Guys came out and got three right away early and kind of got things going. We let them back in it, but Mo (Moehler) hung tough and kept us in it. He didn't pitch as well as the last time, obviously, but I still thought he battled and kept us in the game."

Both Misch and Moehler calmed down after giving up a three-run innings. Moehler lasted five innings, allowing three runs and eight hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Misch gave up three runs and seven hits with no walks and a season-high six strikeouts over six frames.

Tejada snapped a 3-3 deadlock with an RBI single off Billy Sadler with two outs in the seventh.

San Francisco wasted an opportunity in the seventh as Bengie Molina reached on an error, giving the Giants runners at the corners with two outs for Rowand. Reliever Geoff Geary ended the threat by inducing a groundout.

"It's frustrating," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "We couldn't cash in on our opportunities and it came back to haunt us. We came back to tie it and we just couldn't add on. Tonight wasn't a good night for us with runners in scoring position."

Houston capitalized on its chance for insurance runs in the eighth off a shaky San Francisco bullpen as Ausmus clubbed his first home run of the season, staking the Astros to a 6-3 lead.

"Unfortunately for me, there's not a direct correlation between hard work and batting average," said Ausmus, who entered the night hitting .239 and received a shaving cream pie to commemorate the feat. "As soon as I came back in, I knew they were doing it. It's a good group of guys - a lot of fun. It's just another example of the lightheartedness of this team as a group."

Oscar Villarreal (1-3) earned the relief win and Jose Valverde retired the Giants in order in the ninth for his 10th save of the season. Jack Taschner (2-1) suffered the loss for San Francisco.

"Bullpen was big tonight," Cooper said. "Every button we pushed came out of the 'pen and did their jobs. It was a team effort. We jumped on the big horse early and rode our other horse late."

Houston's Hunter Pence singled in the fourth, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.