HOUSTON — The Giants did not arrive here in high spirits, suffering from stomach bugs, muscle strains and a losing streak, but they will head home feeling much better, not only because most of the nasty virus players and staff picked up in Mexico City had mostly subsided.
Behind an excellent outing from Logan Webb and a late-awakening offense, the Giants hung on to win their second straight over the defending World Series champions, 4-2, and earned their third series win of the season.
The Astros, who had not been shut out until this series, were held without a run for 17 consecutive innings, until Alex Bregman took Webb deep in the eighth inning, ending the Giants’ bid for a second consecutive shutout.
Webb needed 46 pitches to make it through the first two innings, mostly due to Mitch Haniger muffing a pop fly in left field and LaMonte Wade Jr. letting a ground ball under his glove, but he used the exact same amount as he cruised through the next five innings.
Outdueling Astros ace Framber Valdez, Webb finished with two runs on five hits over 7⅔ innings, lowering his ERA to 3.80.
After a second-inning walk to Martin Maldonado, the only one of the next 15 batters Webb faced to reach base came on the Giants’ second fielding error of the game, when David Villar bounced a throw to first that allowed David Hensley to reach first. But Hensley appeared to lose track of the number of outs and was easily doubled up on a fly ball out to Austin Slater, who fired to first base as Hensley made his way back around second.
Valdez, who along with Webb and Alex Cobb is one of the top three ground-ball pitchers in the majors, generated three rally-killing double plays and made it through five innings while facing only one more batter than the minimum. But the Giants broke through in the sixth, with RBI singles from Haniger and Austin Slater, chasing Valdez from the game, and picked up what proved to be a crucial insurance run the following inning, when Joey Bart doubled home Michael Conforto.
Bart finished with two hits, raising his average to .302, while Slater also added two hits to the ledger, making only his second start since returning from hamstring and elbow injuries. The rest of the Giants lineup combined to go 3-for-23.
Webb, who has has multiple starts this season spoiled by uncharacteristic late home runs, allowed the first two runners of the eighth inning to reach, prompting the Giants to double-barrel relievers in the bullpen and bringing pitching coach Andrew Bailey to the mound. But with his pitch count already over 90, San Francisco kept Webb in the game.
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Mauricio Dubón, Webb’s friend (a fellow Sacramento-area product) and the hero from Monday night, came to the plate looking to come up big for the second time this series. But Webb retired him, only to have his shutout bid spoiled by the next batter, Alex Bregman.
Webb delivered a second-pitch changeup right down the middle, and Bregman sent it soaring deep in the Crawford boxes above the left-field scoreboard, pulling the Astros within one, 3-2.
That was as close as it would get, though, as Webb gave way to Scott Alexander, who retired fearsome lefty Yordan Alvarez with three straight sliders, and Camilo Doval retired the side without drama in the ninth to pick up his second straight save.
Wilmer Flores padded the lead in the top of the ninth with a line-drive shot that just cleared the tall wall in left field, his fifth home run of the season.
The Giants have a day off Thursday before hosting the 18-11 Milwaukee Brewers to kick off a six-game home stand.