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Chacon finally gets decision as Astros beat Cubs

May 22, 2008 - 3:55 AM By Andrew Ferraro PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

HOUSTON (Ticker) - After setting a major league record with nine straight no decisions to start the season, Shawn Chacon finally has something to celebrate - win No. 1 in 2008.

Chacon settled down after a shaky start and pitched seven strong innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.

The 30-year-old Chacon (1-0) finished with six scoreless innings after allowing three runs in the opening frame. He allowed just five hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

"Everyone in the dugout came up to me and was giving me hugs," Chacon said. "It really made me feel like it was my first ever win. But really, it is good to get that first one out of the way - and I never thought it would take two months to do it - but now maybe it is time to get something going."

Michael Bourn had three hits, including his second triple, and Carlos Lee hit a three-run homer in a four-run fourth for the Astros.

Geoff Blum also had two hits for Houston, which has won 15 of its last 20 contests.

"He deserves it," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said of Chacon. "He really did some nice things out there, especially after a rough first inning. I wasn't concerned, because he is a guy that sometimes has some control issues in the first inning.

"But he got the ball down, and you are going to win a lot of ballgames if your starter pitches the way he did tonight."

Bourn led off the third with a single and later scored on an RBI single by Miguel Tejada. After Lance Berkman struck out, Lee hit a line drive well over the wall in left for a three-run shot - his 10th blast of the season.

"I was in a hole 0-2 and I just thought to myself, just hit the ball and see what happens," Lee said. "I got lucky. He threw a slider right down the middle, and that's a pitch you can't miss.

"Earlier in the series, I had a few balls thrown at my head, and right after that I was trying to hit the ball 600 feet. But tonight, in that situation, I just wanted to make a simple swing and put the ball in play."

Houston added an insurance run in the fifth when Blum hit an RBI single to right, scoring Berkman, who started the rally with a one-out walk.

Cubs rookie Sean Gallagher (1-1) did not make it out of the fifth inning, allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.

"My execution just wasn't there," Gallagher said. "I left the (pitch) up and over the heart of the plate and you just can't do that. I have got to be able to control myself better."

Cubs manager Lou Piniella agreed.

"Today, he did a really good job of getting ahead of hitter, but he could not put them away. The breaking ball to Lee was a bad pitch, and Lee makes $100 million a year to do those sorts of things."

Chicago was held to just five hits and had just two in the last eight innings. Doug Brocail pitched a scoreless eighth and Jose Valverde got through the ninth for his 14th save.

Derrek Lee hit a two-run home run and Geovany Soto added an RBI double in the first for the Cubs, who have lost back-to-back games after winning five of their previous six contests.

"Now we are just going to take tomorrow off, and just do what we can to get better starting Friday," Piniella said.