Felipe Paulino

MLB: Houston 3, Chicago Cubs 1

Houston -- Felipe Paulino gave up five hits over eight innings for his first win of the season Friday, boosting the Houston Astros to a 3-1 decision over the Chicago Cubs.

Paulino had lost his first seven decisions before turning in an outstanding effort that brought the Astros their fourth straight victory. He struck seven and walked two.

It was a 1-1 contest going into the Houston half of the fifth but the Astros took the lead in that inning when Jeff Keppinger singled in Michael Bourn from second and then scored on a double by Lance Berkman.

It took Paulino 11 starts to win his first game of 2010. He posted a 3-11 record last season.

Carlos Zambrano (1-4) surrendered three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss.

MLB: Atlanta 2, Houston 1

Houston, Sept. 8: Adam LaRoche and Nate McLouth each homered and Javier Vazquez pitched seven scoreless innings Tuesday to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 2-1 win over Houston.

Vazquez (12-9) gave up three hits while striking out nine and walking four.

Rafael Soriano picked up his 22nd save despite giving up a run in the ninth.

Vazquez was the only Atlanta player with more than one hit, going 2-for-3.

Houston's Felipe Paulino (2-8) allowed two runs on four hits in six innings. The 25-year-old hasn't won since a June 27 win over Detroit.

Hunter Pence went 2-for-4 and drove in the lone for the Astros, who were coming off a four-game sweep of Philadelphia.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International.

MLB: San Francisco 8, Houston 1

Houston, Aug. 5: Freddy Sanchez homered, Aaron Rowand had three RBI and Jonathan Sanchez went seven-plus innings Tuesday in the San Francisco Giants' 8-1 win over Houston.

Sanchez (5-9) held the Astros scoreless on four hits with three walks and eight strikeouts for the Giants, who won for the seventh time in their last eight games.

Eugenio Velez had three hits, one RBI and one run scored, Pablo Sandoval hit a solo homer and scored twice and Bengie Molina had three of the Giants' 16 hits while driving in two runs. Randy Winn had two hits and scored twice for San Francisco.

Felipe Paulino (2-6) allowed five runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss for Houston, which had a two-game winning streak snapped.

MLB: San Francisco 13, Houston 0

San Francisco, July 4: Pablo Sandoval and Travis Ishikawa both had three RBI Friday and the San Francisco Giants produced 15 hits in rolling over Houston 13-0.

Ryan Sadowski (2-0), in only the second game of his major league career, allowed three hits over seven innings. He has thrown 13 innings in his brief stay with the Giants and has yet to give up a run.

Sandoval started the San Francisco attack with a two-run homer in the first inning and added an RBI triple as part of a four-run third. Ishikawa hit a three-run homer during a six-run second.

Felipe Paulino (2-4) was blasted for eight runs on nine hits in just two innings.

His poor outing came one start after he had limited Detroit to a run on three hits in seven frames.