Jints take 2 of 3 from ‘Stros

Game 1
The undefeated San Francisco Giants (3-0) traveled to Houston for a three game set against the 1-2 Astros. Nolan Ryan faced off with Johnny Antonelli in a battle of no. 4 rotation starters. Ryan gave up hits to Bobby Bonds and Alvin Dark to start the game and before the Ryan Express left the station he was down 3-0 on a Willie Mays HR, his second of the season. McCovey and Cepeda followed with the 4th and 5th straight hits to lead off the game for SF and Ryan was looking at an early ticket to the showers. Luckily he induced and GDP and K to end the threat. Home runs by Mays, his second of the game to lead off the third inning and Barry Bonds a couple batters later chased Ryan after 3.2 innings pitched. SF had an 8-0 lead when Jim Deshaies came on for slop time, and shut down SF the rest of the way. Unfortunately for Houston the damage was done and a sixth in Glenn Davis RBI double was little consolation in the 11-1 loss. Antonelli (1-0, 1.50) gets the win. Final SF 11, HOU 1.

Game 2
There was only one storyline for game 2 of the SF/HOU series. And that was the pitching of Astro knuckleballer Joe Niekro. In Joe's first start of the season he pitched 8 innings of 3 hit, 1 run baseball to stifle the powerful SF offense (averaging 6.0 runs/game) for the first time this season. Cesar Cedeno (.320 2 HR 5 RBI) continued his stellar play from the LA series this week vs SR as his 2-run HR was the difference in this game. Jim Barr (0-1, 3.38) pitches well but loses 2-1. Dave Smith gets his first save of the season for the Astros, while Niekro (1-0, 1.13)  earned his first win. Final HOU 2, SF 1.

Game 3
Gaylord Perry started for the Giants and was impressive, he didn't need much offensive support, but he got it from SS Alvin Dark. Dark cracked home runs in the 3rd and 5th innings off Houston ace J.R Richard (0-2, 18.00). Richard was rocked for the second straight outing. Perry (1-0, 1.50) allows only 1 run in 7 innings pitched to notch the victory. Monte Irvin smacked a late 2-run double, and Perry knocked the other 2 runs that Dark (.320 2 HR 3 RBI) didn't force in with his big flies. Final SF 7, HOU 1.
--submitted by Mike Johnson--