Chacon cruises to win with seven good innings

Astros SP Shawn Chacon won his second straight start Tuesday at St. Louis after nine no-decisions to open the year. He worked seven strong innings, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out seven. Chacon, perhaps the team's most consistent starter so far with a 3.95 ERA and eight quality starts, broke a major-league record set in 1965 for consecutive no-decisions to open the season before beating the Cubs also with seven strong innings on May 21.

Shawn Chacon pitched seven solid innings for his first victory this season, breaking his major league record streak of nine consecutive no-decisions to start a season in Houston's 5-3 victory against the Cubs Wednesday. Carlos Lee's three-run homer in the third inning helped Chacon (1-0) overcome a rough start and avoid tying another mark -- the overall record for consecutive starts without a decision -- or worse, let his first decision be a loss. "It feels like I won my first game ever, that's how long it's been," a beaming Chacon said. It was his first victory since Aug. 28. Derrek Lee hit a two-run homer in the first. Micah Hoffpauir doubled for his first major league hit before scoring on a double by Geovany Soto that made it 3-0. "He settled down after the first inning," Derrek Lee said of Chacon. "He really just shut us down after that."

Chacon limits Cubs to three runs for win

Astros SP Shawn Chacon gave up eight runs -- five earned -- in 3 1/3 innings Friday at Texas, allowing six hits and four walks. But Houston rallied with five runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to tie it, getting Chacon off the hook and into the record book. The right-hander set a major-league mark by making his ninth consecutive start without a decision to begin the season.

Chacon allows eight runs in loss

Astros SP Shawn Chacon ended up with his eighth straight no-decision to start the season Sunday at the Dodgers -- tying a major league record. He gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings and struck out three, walking one. The nine-year veteran, in his first season with the Astros, joined left-hander Dick Stigman of the 1965 Minnesota Twins as the only pitchers to have no-decisions in their first eight starts of a season. "It's pretty weird," Chacon said. "Someone told me that I tied a major-league record. I don't know how excited I am about it, but I can't do anything but keep trying to pitch well and keep our team in the game. If the relievers get all my wins, fine. They can take them. But I definitely want to get a win before I get a loss."

Astros SP Shawn Chacon received his seventh straight no-decision Tuesday against the Nationals. The last pitcher to start seven games without a decision was Doug Davis in 2005. He allowed eight hits and four runs with eight strikeouts and four walks in seven innings.