Costly error helps Astros knock off Giants

Ronel Blanco teamed with three relievers on a three-hitter and the Houston Astros took advantage of a Matt Chapman error to score the decisive runs in a 3-1 victory over the host San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

After each team scored a single run in the third inning, the Astros quickly put runners at second and third in the fifth against Giants starter Jordan Hicks (4-3) when Trey Cabbage singled and Mauricio Dubon doubled with no outs.

Hicks struck out the next two batters and appeared to escape the jam when he got Alex Bregman to hit a weak grounder toward shortstop Brett Wisely.

Chapman cut in front of his teammate to bare-hand the ball, but in his haste to get Bregman at first, he threw errantly, allowing both Cabbage and Dubon to score.

The play was ruled an RBI single for Bregman, with Chapman's error allowing the second run to score.

That was all Blanco (6-2) and the bullpen would need. The right-hander went the first six innings, limiting the Giants to one run and three hits. He walked one and struck out eight.

The lone San Francisco run came via Wisely's second home run of the season, a solo shot in the third.

With closer Josh Hader unavailable after pitching on both Sunday and Monday, Tayler Scott, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly threw a hitless inning of relief apiece to help the Astros snap a two-game losing streak. Pressly was credited with his second save after a two-strikeout ninth.

Houston's first run came in the third, when Dubon smacked a ground-rule double to left, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Jose Altuve's groundout.

Hicks was charged with three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Dubon had two hits and scored twice while Jon Singleton collected a pair of singles for the Astros. Patrick Bailey had a double among the three hits for the Giants, who lost for just the second time in their past six games.

--Field Level Media