Astros 5, Padres 4

Astros 5, Padres 4
Ap Photos GOS101-104
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The surging Chicago Cubs had already won, and the Houston Astros needed a lift.
Jeff Bagwell provided it with a three-run homer in the fifth inning as the Astros beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 Friday night.
The win kept NL Central-leading Houston a half-game ahead of the Cubs, 4-2 winners over Milwaukee. Third-place St. Louis fell two games back, losing to Cincinnati 4-2 in 12 innings.
"You can't worry about the other teams," Bagwell said. "You have to find a way to win your game."
San Diego gave starter Adam Eaton a 3-2 lead when Phil Nevin hit a three-run homer in the third inning. But after Eaton allowed consecutive singles to Craig Biggio and Geoff Blum to start the fifth, Bagwell hit a slow curveball for his 32nd homer.
"I threw a curveball that kind of backed up, and Bagwell was looking for an offspeed pitch and hit it hard," Eaton said. "I wish I had only one pitch back -- the curveball."
Eaton (8-10) gave up five runs and seven hits in six innings.
Knuckleballer Jared Fernandez (3-3) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings to beat San Diego for the second time in seven days.
Five relievers finished. Billy Wagner escaped a two-on jam in the eighth and got four outs for his 38th save in 40 chances.
"That's how things have been going for us lately," Fernandez said. "I go five or six innings, our bullpen comes in and finishes up. I think we have the best bullpen in the league. It's all scripted well."
Richard Hidalgo hit an RBI double in the second, and Biggio homered in the third to give Houston a 2-0 lead.
But Nevin hit a three-run homer in the bottom half after Sean Burroughs walked and Brian Giles reached on a one-out single.
After Bagwell put the Astros ahead, San Diego closed to 5-4 in the seventh on Burroughs' two-out RBI single off Brad Lidge.
Padres closer Trevor Hoffman pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing a double to Hidalgo. It was the second relief appearance for Hoffman, who returned Tuesday from two shoulder operations.
Notes: Biggio and Bagwell homered in the same game for the 42nd time. ... Burroughs extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games with a leadoff single in the first inning. ... Eaton beat Houston 7-1 a week earlier, allowing one run in seven innings.