Two games, two runs.  Looks like the Astros are back.

It’s a safe assumption that baseball fans didn’t expect much from the Astros in their season-opening series against San Francisco at Minute Maid Park.  So far, “not much” is precisely what the Astros’ hitters have delivered.

Monday on Opening Day, a dominant Tim Lincecum held the Astros to four singles in seven shutout innings as the Giants cruised to a 5-2 victory.  A day later, lefty junkballer Barry Zito blanked them for six innings in a 3-0 shutout.  It’s been a regrettable (if not completely unexpected) start for a team slightly more likely to be exposed as reptilian aliens than contend for the NL Central crown. 

The Astros have been especially bad with men on base in the first two games, hitting 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the opener followed it with an 0-for-6 effort Tuesday.  With Lance Berkman out with knee issues, the heart of the order hasn’t been pumping—Hunter Pence has gone hitless, and Carlos Lee has only managed two singles.  It’s a trend that can’t continue if the Astros are to be better than terrible in 2010.

That’s not to say the season’s first two games have been totally bereft of bright spots.  Although he had a rough second inning Monday, Roy Oswalt settled in nicely in the third and once again looked like himself.  Wandy Rodriguez overcame a poor, jittery Spring to turn in five innings of shutout baseball before giving up three runs in the sixth.  Quality starting pitching will be crucial in keeping the Astros in games when their offense can’t find its stroke. 

If Houston is to make a go of it, though, the team can’t continue to swing and miss for long stretches of the game.  Berkman’s return is sure to help, but in order to win games, the Astros must find ways to get on base no matter who is in the lineup.  Unless Houston can begin to score runs early, the team’s starting pitchers simply won’t have the margin for error needed to stay aggressive and force outs. 

The eternal hope of Spring training is gone, and the excitement of Opening Day is over.  All that’s left are the Astros, and two games in, that hasn’t been enough.