NATIONAL LEAGUE Bucs finally beat Astros

Pittsburgh ended a 10-game losing skid to Houston.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Jeff D'Amico didn't feel the pressure of ending the Pittsburgh Pirates' 10-game losing streak to the Houston Astros, and for good reason.
He didn't know anything about it.
"I came in here [the clubhouse] for the final two innings, and I heard them talking about it on TV," D'Amico said after pitching Pittsburgh to a 3-2 victory Wednesday night. "I knew we had lost six this season, but I didn't know about the four last season."
Maybe it was better he didn't. The Pirates haven't found many ways to beat the Astros the last two seasons but, until Wednesday, they've discovered a lot of ways to lose.
Williams gets save
The night before, usually reliable closer Mike Williams gave up three runs in the ninth in Houston's 6-3 victory. This time, Williams retired all three batters he faced as the Pirates beat Houston for the first time since July 16.
Williams said the victory was important because the Pirates aren't beating anybody regularly, not just the Astros; they had dropped 10 of 11, and had won only once in 10 home games.
"However it had to happen, whether it was a 20-19 slugfest or 1-0 pitchers' duel, we needed to win," Williams said.
The Astros made a run in the late innings as Jeff Kent hit a two-run homer in the eighth off reliever Brian Boehringer. D'Amico (3-4) shut out Houston on four hits for seven innings.
The Astros threatened to take the lead, putting two runners on with two outs following Kent's homer. But Julian Tavarez got Jose Vizcaino to fly out, and Williams finished up for his 10th save in 12 opportunities.
Third inning was key
Still, the key inning to Astros manager Jimy Williams was the third.
The Astros had runners on second and third with none out and the bases loaded with one out, but D'Amico (3-4) struck out Jeff Kent and got Lance Berkman to pop up.
"He really buckled down and got tough," Williams said.
D'Amico went on to retire 14 of the next 15 batters as the Astros lost for only the third time in 13 games.
And while one victory in a 162-game season may not seem like much, but it was enough for Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon to suggest his team is about to turn its season around.
"I'm telling you now, we'll be in this race a month from now -- and you guys [the media] will be saying that I told you so," McClendon said.
Kenny Lofton hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the fifth off Wade Miller (1-5). Miller gave up seven hits and three runs in 51/3 innings, including Jack Wilson's RBI single in the sixth.