Freddy Sanchez, Sandoval homer in San Francisco’s 8-1 win over Astros

Sanchez ends road skid in Giants’ 8-1 win

HOUSTON — Jonathan Sanchez snapped a nine-game road losing streak, striking out eight in seven shutout innings of the San Francisco Giants’ 8-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Sanchez (5-9), who pitched a no-hitter against San Diego on July 10, held Houston to four hits, all singles. The 26-year-old left-hander was 0-8 with a 6.33 ERA in nine road starts this season and hadn’t won away from home since Sept. 12, 2008, in San Diego.

Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval hit back-to-back homers in the sixth off reliever Wesley Wright and Aaron Rowand drove in three runs, helping the Giants win for the ninth time in 13 games.

Houston starter Felipe Paulino (2-6), recalled from the minors late Monday, gave up five runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings. He was hit hard by the Giants for the second time in a month as Paulino allowed eight runs and nine hits on July 3 in the Giants’ 13-0 win.

Sandoval walked with two outs in the first inning and scored on Bengie Molina’s double. Eugenio Velez extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI single in the second to make it 2-0.

San Francisco loaded the bases with one out in the third and Rowand drove in two runs with a single down the first-base line.

Hunter Pence led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to left, Houston’s first hit. Sanchez struck out Carlos Lee and Molina threw out Pence trying to steal for a double play, and Sanchez struck out Miguel Tejada.

Paulino walked Randy Winn with one out in the fifth and Doug Brocail relieved. Rowand doubled down the left-field line and Winn scored for a 5-0 lead.

Wright replaced Brocail for the sixth and Freddy Sanchez drove the first pitch off the facade in left, his seventh homer of the season and first since joining the Giants in a July 29 trade with Pittsburgh. Two pitches later, Sandoval homered to left, his team-leading 17th.

San Francisco had homers in consecutive at-bats for the second time this season. Travis Ishikawa and Juan Uribe hit back-to-back homers against San Diego on July 9.

Molina added an RBI single in the eighth off Wright for an 8-0 lead. Keppinger singled and pinch-hitter Geoff Blum walked in the bottom half and Justin Miller replaced Sanchez.

Waldis Joaquin took the mound for his major-league debut for the Giants in the ninth. Lee doubled, advanced on Tejada’s single and scored on Chris Coste’s groundout for Houston’s only run.

NOTES: Astros RHP Roy Oswalt met Tuesday with a back specialist, who examined the irritated disk that forced him out of a start last week. General manager Ed Wade said Oswalt got a favorable report and will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. The Astros will then determine whether Oswalt can make his next scheduled start this weekend. … Astros manager Cecil Cooper isn’t expecting slugger Lance Berkman to return from a strained left calf on Friday, when he’s due to come off the DL. “By Friday, I’m not optimistic that he’d be ready to play,” Cooper said. … Giants RHP Joe Martinez will start Wednesday’s series finale. Martinez (1-0, 6.75 ERA) has been on the DL since he was struck in the head by a line drive hit by Milwaukee’s Mike Cameron on April 9.

(This version CORRECTS date of Sanchez’s last road win).)