Major League Baseball
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Houston 1, Chi. Cubs 0
When: 8:05 PM ET, Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
Temperature: Indoors
Umpires: Home - Paul Nauert, 1B - Dana DeMuth, 2B - Doug Eddings, 3B - Kerwin Danley
Attendance: 14205
Astros 1, Cubs 0: Justin Maxwell drove in the lone run and made a key defensive play as host Houston overcame four errors to snap Chicago’s four-game winning streak.

Maxwell hit a third-inning sacrifice fly and threw out a runner at third for the final out of the sixth prior to Chicago’s Starlin Castro reaching home plate to keep the Cubs scoreless.

Jordan Lyles (4-11) allowed just two hits in five innings and five Houston relievers protected the lead. Wilton Lopez allowed two singles in the ninth before retiring David DeJesus on a fly ball and striking out Luis Valbuena for his fourth save.

The Astros won while committing four errors for the first time since beating the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 18, 2004.

The Cubs had runners on second and third with one out in the sixth when pinch hitter Darwin Barney hit a fly ball to center. Maxwell alertly threw to third and Dave Sappelt was tagged out just prior to Castro reaching home plate.

Houston’s third-inning run was set up by a throwing error by Chicago catcher Steve Clevenger. Maxwell came up with the bases loaded and one out and hit a fly ball to right-center field to score Jimmy Paredes.

Cubs starter Justin Germano (2-7) struck out a season-high eight. He gave up just three hits and one unearned run in five innings. Lyles struck out five and walked two.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston SS Jed Lowrie (leg) returned to the team following a rehab assignment and might be in the lineup Wednesday. His most recent major-league game was July 14. … Chicago 1B Anthony Rizzo left in the third inning after hurting his back and neck in a collision with Houston 1B Brett Wallace, who had leaped to try to grab an errant throw by Paredes. … Astros 2B Jose Altuve entered in the eighth as a defensive replacement after missing the previous three games with an abdominal strain. … Cubs OF Brett Jackson (knee) missed his fourth straight contest.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Chi. Cubs   Houston
Justin Germano Player Jordan Lyles
Loss W/L Win
5.0 IP 5.0
8 Strikeouts 5
3 Hits 2
0.00 ERA 0.00
Hitting
Chi. Cubs   Houston
Welington Castillo Player Scott Moore
1 Hits 1
0 RBI 0
0 HR 0
1 TB 1
1.000 Avg 1.000
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Chi. Cubs 6 0 7 .167 25 11 0 2 0 2
Houston 4 0 5 .138 18 12 1 3 2 4