NL CENTRAL Pirates get rare win in Houston

Kenny Lofton left the game after jamming his right hand in the first inning.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Kip Wells won for the first time since May 31, and Brian Giles and Aramis Ramirez each drove in two runs Saturday as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros, 5-2.
Pittsburgh won in Houston for the first time since last July 16, snapping a nine-game losing streak at Minute Maid Park.
Wells (3-4) pitched 61/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits. He has 10 no-decisions in 17 starts this season, and he had been 0-2 in six starts since his last win.
Mike Williams got three outs for his 25th save in 30 chances.
Roy Oswalt (5-5), who also got the loss the last time Pittsburgh won in Houston, allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one.
Early lead
Pittsburgh jumped ahead early, scoring four times in the first.
After Kenny Lofton led off with a single, Jason Kendall followed with a single to right.
When Richard Hidalgo bobbled the ball for an error, Lofton went to third and Kendall moved up to second.
Lofton jammed his right hand while sliding into third and was replaced by pinch-runner Craig Wilson.
Lofton was taken for X-rays, which were negative.
He is day to day.
Lofton came into the game batting .281 with nine homers and 26 RBIs. He led the team with 56 runs and 17 steals.
Wilson and Kendall scored on a single by Giles, and Ramirez hit his 10th home run of the season to make it 4-0.
Bagwell connects
Houston scored twice in the fourth on Jeff Bagwell 17th home run of the season and Hidalgo's RBI groundout.
The Pirates scored in the eighth when Reggie Sanders tripled and scored on a single by Carlos Rivera.
Randall Simon sat out the third and final game of his suspension for hitting a Milwaukee Brewers sausage mascot with a bat.
Notes
Geoff Blum extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games
Houston starters have won six consecutive games
Craig Biggio was hit by a pitch Saturday for an NL-leading 16th tine
Kendall extended his career-high hitting streak to 17 games, the longest current streak in the majors.
PITTSBURGHHOUSTON
abrhbiabrhbi
Lofton cf1010Biggio cf4000
CWilsn lf4100Blum 2b3010
Hyzdu cf0000BHnter ph1000
Kendall c5120Dotel p0000
BGiles lf5122Sarloos p0000
ARmrz 3b4112Zaun ph1000
RSndrs rf4110Bgwell 1b2111
Rivera 1b4021Brkmn lf4110
JWilsn ss4000Hidalgo rf4001
ANunez 2b2010Ensbrg 3b3000
Wells p3000Asmus c4000
Srbeck p0000AEvrtt ss4020
Stairs ph1000Oswalt p1000
Tvarez p0000Lidge p0000
MWlms p0000Merced ph0000
Brntlett 2b1010
Totals375105Totals32262
Pittsburgh400000010--5
Houston000200000--2
E--Hidalgo (3), Ensberg (3). DP--Houston 1. LOB--Pittsburgh 7, Houston 9. 2B--Bruntlett (2). 3B--RSanders (2), Berkman (3). HR--ARamirez (10), Bagwell (17). SB--Ensberg (5). S--Oswalt.
IPHRERBBSO
Pittsburgh
Wells W,3-46 1-352231
Sauerbeck2-300010
Tavarez100000
MiWilliams S,25110002
Houston
Oswalt L,5-5684416
Lidge100000
Dotel121112
Saarloos100000
HBP--by Wells (Biggio). Umpires--Home, Gary Cederstrom; First, Mark Wegner; Second, Tim Welke; Third, Dan Iassogna. T--2:44. A--34,762.