Giants get much-needed win

SAN FRANCISCO -- Andres Torres had an RBI triple, doubled in a run and scored twice as the San Francisco Giants produced the timely hits they lacked in recent days, beating the Astros 8-2 on Friday night to snap Houston's four-game winning streak. Todd Wellemeyer (2-3) pitched into the eighth inning to help the Giants bounce back from a three-game sweep by San Diego, giving up Hunter Pence's solo homer in the fourth for one of his two runs. San Francisco improved to 4-0 against the Astros after sweeping a three-game series at Houston to start the season. Matt Downs had an RBI double, Aubrey Huff and Nate Schierholtz singled in runs and Pablo Sandoval had an RBI groundout for the Giants, who hadn't produced more than two hits with runners in scoring position in any of their previous six games. San Francisco also scored two runs on a pair of wild pitches by Felipe Paulino (0-6) in a three-run fifth. Sandoval left the game after getting hit by a pitch on the left foot by Jeff Fulchino in the eighth. The Giants finally got going on offense a day after they were one-hit by San Diego's Mat Latos in a 1-0 loss that gave the Padres their second sweep this season in the division rivalry. Runs could be tough to come by again Saturday in a pitching matchup featuring two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum vs. Astros ace Roy Oswalt. Houston missed a chance for its first five-game winning streak since winning six in a row from Sept. 6-11, 2008, despite having some momentum following a three-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis for the first time since April 12-14, 2004. Paulino, the Astros' fifth starter, is having a rough time. In losing his sixth straight start, he gave up season highs of seven runs and eight hits in his shortest outing of the year at 4 2-3 innings. The Giants beat him twice last season, tagging Paulino for eight earned runs in two innings of a 13-0 Houston loss at AT&T Park last July 3. Wellemeyer matched his season best with 7 1-3 innings. He allowed five hits, struck out four and walked two. Lance Berkman singled in a run off Guillermo Mota in the eighth that was charged to Wellemeyer. He looked strong coming off a no-decision Saturday against the Mets, his first outing back in the rotation after having his turn skipped. He beat the Astros for the first time in five career starts and 12 overall appearances. The Giants improved to 3-0 since they began wearing their new "Orange Friday" uniforms at home. NOTES: Astros reliever Tim Byrdak received an injection in his lower back in Houston. He was scheduled to fly to San Francisco on Saturday. ... Giants manager Bruce Bochy didn't rule out 2B Freddy Sanchez, coming back from December surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder, joining the team Monday or Tuesday in San Diego. Sanchez was traveling Friday to join Triple-A Fresno at Oklahoma City to continue a rehab assignment that began with Class-A San Jose. ... Astros closer Matt Lindstrom wasn't available after pitching five of the previous six days and all three games at St. Louis. Brandon Lyon was to be the ninth-inning guy if there was a save situation. ... Astros manager Brad Mills is from Exeter, three-plus hours from the Bay Area. He attended Giants games as a kid. "Old Candlestick Park, we used to bring all the blankets and jackets," he said. Mills had plenty of ticket requests for this series, too. Elsewhere around the NL, Ryan Howard hit a two-run shot, Jamie Moyer overcame three homers in one inning and the Philadelphia Phillies roughed up Brewers starter Randy Wolf in a 9-5 victory over Milwaukee on Friday night. Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley hit solo homers for the surging Phils, winners of nine of 12. The 47-year-old Moyer (5-2) continued his dazzling start, only struggling briefly when Prince Fielder, Jim Edmonds and George Kottaras all hit solo homers in the second to tie the game. But Ibanez hit his homer and Shane Victorino drove in two with a triple in the fourth off Wolf (3-3) to give the Phillies a 6-3 lead. Milwaukee cut it to 8-5 with two runs in the seventh, but Utley's solo homer in the ninth sealed it.