By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Big league baseball comes with the caveat that there can be some major league disappointments. The Giants, closer Will Smith and rookie starter Dereck Rodriguez suffered through an especially tough outcome on Monday night.

With the Giants and Rodriguez one out away from a wholely satisfying 1-0 victory, Smith surrendered a three-run home run to Houston’s Marwin Gonzalez that sent the Giants to a 3-1 loss. The Giants fell back to .500 (57-57) for the 21st time, and failed to close the gap between themselves and the division-leading Diamondbacks and Dodgers.

Rodriguez put the Giants in an advantageous spot, pitching seven innings of shutout baseball without the benefit of his best stuff. Backed by Brandon Crawford’s two-strike, two-out home run in the sixth, and Reyes Moronta’s perfect eighth inning, the Giants were in line for a fourth, 1-0 win of the season.

Rodriguez, the minor league free agent who signed with the Giants in November only to propel himself to be MLB’s top rookie starting pitcher this season, kept the Astros scoreless by relying heavily on his cutter and two-seam fastball in the absence of his good blazer, he said. Rodriguez threw seven innings, his second, consecutive start of that length, allowing three hits, no runs while striking out seven.

“When I’m out there it’s just me, Buster (Posey) and the hitter, whoever’s hitting, so I think that’s what’s helped me get to the point where I’m at, my concentration when I’m in the game,” he said.

But while Rodriguez cruised, the Giants’ hitters had their hands full with Charlie Morton, a pitcher with a decade of experience facing San Francisco hitters, and a trio of dominating performances, including two at AT&T Park.

Morton went seven innings, struck out eight, and was only dented by an off-speed pitch to Crawford that was off the plate, but waist high.

Morton controlled the rest of the Giants’ lineup, allowing harmless base hits to Evan Longoria and Joe Panik.

Smith fell into trouble prior to allowing the home run to Gonzalez, walking Alex Bregman, and Yuli Gurriel. There’s no security blanket for closers, and Smith probably needed one when facing Gonzalez.

“I felt fine,” Smith said. “Just lost control of the fastball tonight.”

Houston overcame the absence of sluggers Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer, and Brian McCann in the win. They welcomed Roberto Osuna, the flamethrower acquired in a trade with the Blue Jays despite his pending charges regarding domestic violence. Osuna pitched a perfect, eighth inning.

The Astros and Giants conclude their brief series Tuesday afternoon with Dallas Kuechel facing Madison Bumgarner at 12:45pm.