Houston, TX (Sports Network) – Carlos Lee smacked a two-run homer and Brett Myers was solid in 6 2/3 innings on the mound, as the Houston Astros took down the Chicago Cubs, 6-3, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park.
Pedro Feliz knocked in two runs for the Astros, who finished a seven-game homestand with a 5-2 record. Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence each had two hits and an RBI for the victors.
Myers (4-3) allowed two runs on eight hits to pick up the victory. He also fanned six batters and walked one. The right-hander has pitched six innings or more in all 12 of his starts this season. Matt Lindstrom recorded his 13th save of the year.
Xavier Nady, Koyie Hill and Starlin Castro each knocked in a run for the Cubs, who have dropped five of their last six games.
Randy Wells (3-4) gave up six runs on nine hits in a 5 1/3-inning start to take the loss.
Ahead 3-2, Houston scored three times in the sixth to build a four-run margin. Jeff Keppinger and Berkman singled to get things going. Two batters later, Pence drove in a run with a base hit to left. Geoff Blum was then intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Feliz stepped to the plate and laced a two-run single to center.
Nady had a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth to cut the gap to 6-3.
Lindstrom made things a bit interesting in the ninth by giving up back-to-back one-out singles. Tyler Colvin, though, grounded into a double play to end the game.
The Astros put a three-spot on the board in the first. Michael Bourn, Keppinger, and Berkman started the frame with three straight singles to plate a run. Lee stepped to the plate and blasted Wells’ offering over the wall in left to make it 3-0.
Chicago got a run back in the second. Marlon Byrd led off with an infield single, moved to second on an Aramis Ramirez walk, advanced to third on Mike Fontenot’s fly out, and crossed the plate on Castro’s sacrifice fly.
The Cubs added another run in the fourth to cut the gap to 3-2. Byrd doubled and Fontenot singled to put men on the corners with one out. After Castro struck out, Hill doubled down the right-field line to score Byrd. Fontenot also tried to score on the play but was thrown out at home plate.
Houston leads the season series with Chicago, 4-2…The Astros improved to 18-7 this season when scoring four or more runs…Myers is 8-3 in 14 lifetime appearances (10 starts) versus the Cubs, who left eight men on…Houston starts a 10-game road trip Monday with the first of four against the Rockies…The Cubs play a make-up game with the Pirates on Monday in Pittsburgh.