Hunter Pence drove in four runs and Brett Myers pitched seven strong innings, leading Houston to an 11-2 rout of the Chicago Cubs at home on Tuesday evening.
Michael Bourn scored four runs and Angel Sanchez was 4-for-5 for the Astros, who pounded out 16 hits.
The Astros jumped all over James Russell (0-1) in his first career start, scoring five runs in the first two innings. Pence and Bill Hall each singled home a run in the first, with a third run coming across when the Cubs committed a pair of errors on Hall's base hit. Russell lasted just 1 2/3 innings.Pence added his second RBI in the second, plating Bourn, who had knocked in a run with a fielder's choice. Houston tacked on a pair in the fourth when Sanchez drove home Myers and Bourn with a base hit, and Pence added a two-run double during the Astros' four-run eighth inning.
That was more than enough for Myers (1-0), who scattered eight
hits over seven innings while striking out five and lowering his ERA to 1.77.
Marlon Byrd had three hits and Tyler Colvin hit his second homer for Chicago.
Chi. Cubs | Houston | |
James Russell | Player | Brett Myers |
Loss | W/L | Win |
1.2 | IP | 7.0 |
1 | Strikeouts | 5 |
7 | Hits | 8 |
21.60 | ERA | 1.29 |
Chi. Cubs | Houston | |
Marlon Byrd | Player | Angel Sanchez |
3 | Hits | 4 |
0 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 0 |
4 | TB | 5 |
1.000 | Avg | .800 |