NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP Astros end loss streak with 5-2 victory

Lance Berkman's 3-run homer helped Houston past the Reds.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI -- Lance Berkman hit a three-run homer and Wade Miller pitched one-hit ball for six innings as the Houston Astros snapped a four-game skid Saturday with a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Jeff Kent homered for the second consecutive game for the Astros, who dropped out of first place in the NL Central on Friday for the first time since July 7.
Miller (10-10) overcame control problems to win his third straight start and improve to 6-0 in 11 career games against Cincinnati. The right-hander had four strikeouts and matched his season high with four walks.
Rick White allowed a run in the seventh and Octavio Dotel worked a scoreless eighth. Billy Wagner got three outs for his 35th save in 38 opportunities, finishing the five-hitter.
Seth Etherton (0-1) allowed six hits and five runs in five innings, his first major league appearance since Aug. 4, 2000, for Anaheim at Cleveland. Etherton was acquired by the Reds in December 2000, but a series of arm injuries kept him from pitching in the majors.
HOUSTONCINCINNATI
abrhbiabrhbi
Biggio cf3000Olmedo ss3000
Ensbrg 3b5120Taylor cf3011
Bgwell 1b2101DJmnz 2b4000
JKent 2b4111Casey 1b4000
Brkmn lf2113RMateo rf4000
Hidalgo rf4000Stenson lf4130
Asmus c4010Stinnett c3100
AEvrtt ss4000Larson 3b3000
WMillr p3110Ethrton p0000
RiWhte p0000CMiller ph1000
Dotel p0000Reith p0000
Merced ph1000WPena ph1011
BWagner p0000Sllivan p0000
JCastro ph1000
Totals32565Totals31252
Houston011030000--5
Cincinnati001000100--2
LOB--Houston 7, Cincinnati 7. 2B--Stenson 2 (2). HR--JKent (17), Berkman (22). SB--Berkman (3). S--Etherton. SF--Bagwell.
IPHRERBBSO
Houston
WMiller W,10-10611144
RiWhite121100
Dotel110001
BWagner S,35110001
Cincinnati
Etherton L,0-1565522
Reith200011
Sullivan200023
HBP--by Etherton (Biggio). Umpires--Home, Bruce Froemming; First, Ron Kulpa; Second, Rob Drake; Third, Mike Winters. T--2:54. A--29,902.
Dodgers 10, Cubs 5
CHICAGO -- Adrian Beltre homered and drove in a season-high four runs, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Chicago Cubs.
Jeromy Burnitz also homered for the Dodgers, who roughed up Kerry Wood and snapped Chicago's four-game winning streak. One day after moving into first place, the Cubs slipped a half-game behind Houston in the NL Central again.
Shawn Green had three hits and two RBIs, and Dave Roberts got three hits and scored three times.
Aramis Ramirez hit a pair of two-run homers for the Cubs.
Dodgers starter Odalis Perez pitched 6 1-3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.
After giving up five runs in the first three innings, Perez (9-9) settled down and retired 10 of his last 12 batters.
The Dodgers broke a 5-5 tie in the fourth inning against reliever Mike Remlinger (5-4). He gave up four consecutive singles to Roberts, Paul Lo Duca, Green and Burnitz.
LOS ANGELESCHICAGO
abrhbiabrhbi
DRbrts cf5330Glnville cf5010
L Duca c6120ASGzlz ss4010
ShGren rf5232SSosa rf4110
Burnitz lf5122Alou lf4120
Beltre 3b5124ARmrz 3b4224
Vntura 1b3110Karros 1b4110
Cora 2b3110Veres p0000
Izturis ss4011REMtiz 2b3000
OPerez p3000DMiller c4020
Mota p0000Wood p1011
Hndrsn ph1010Rmlngr p0000
Alvarez p0000Prior ph1000
Alfnsca p0000
Kelton ph1000
Guthrie p0000
Choi 1b1000
Totals4010169Totals365115
Los Angeles113310010--10
Chicago032000000--5
E--SSosa (1). DP--Los Angeles 1. LOB--Los Angeles 12, Chicago 5. 2B--Beltre (26), Ventura (3), Izturis (14), Karros (14). HR--Burnitz (25), Beltre (14), ARamirez 2 (16). SB--DRoberts (31). CS--DRoberts (10). S--OPerez, REMartinez. SF--Izturis.
IPHRERBBSO
Los Angeles
OPerez W,9-96 1-385503
Mota1 2-320002
Alvarez110001
Chicago
Wood2 2-355542
Remlinger L,5-41 1-343310
Alfonseca331113
Guthrie121110
Veres120001
Umpires--Home, Bill Hohn; First, Mike Reilly; Second, Eric Cooper; Third, Chris Guccione. T--3:16. A--40,032.