Vogelsong, Bay lead Bucs past Astros, 5-2

Houston is 1-3 in the series against Pittsburgh with one game left.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Houston Astros came into Pittsburgh as baseball's hottest team. They're threatening to leave town as one of the coldest.
Jason Bay homered and drove in four runs and Ryan Vogelsong limited Houston to one run over six innings in Pittsburgh's 5-2 victory Saturday -- the Astros' third loss in four games following a 12-game winning streak.
The Astros are 1-3 in a five-game weekend series against the sub-.500 Pirates that wraps up tonight, scoring only four runs in the losses. They averaged nine runs during the winning streak.
So far, it hasn't been a happy return to Pittsburgh for Astros manager Phil Garner, the second baseman 25 years ago for the 1979 World Series champion Pirates.
"We've got to bounce back tomorrow. It's very, very important going into St. Louis," Garner said, looking ahead to his team's next series. "We've got to get bats the cracking again, get that feeling going to score runs when he need to score runs."
That hasn't happened against the Pirates' developing pitching staff. Oliver Perez struck out 14 during a 3-1 victory Thursday in the first game of a doubleheader, and former Pirates first-round draft pick John Van Benschoten gave up one run in eight innings for his first career victory, 5-1 on Friday.
Strong pitching
Vogelsong, coming off a 9-5 loss to Milwaukee on Monday in which he allowed seven runs in 22/3 innings, struck out three, walked three and gave up five hits in six innings. He had lost five of six decisions, and was 0-7 in Pittsburgh since beating the Phillies 6-2 on April 8.
"It definitely was a good change, the way the season has gone for the most part," Vogelsong said.
Despite the Pirates' upgraded pitching, Jeff Bagwell agreed with his manager that tonight is a must-win game for the Astros, especially with Roy Oswalt (17-9) pitching.
"We can't come out of here losing four of five. That's the bottom line," Bagwell said. "As much as things worked out the last couple of weeks, the last couple of days they haven't. We've got to correct that and keep coming up with those big hits again."
Craig Biggio tried to do that by homering on Vogelsong's second pitch of the game and driving in both Houston runs. Biggio's 22nd homer tied a career high and extended his NL record to 40 homers leading off games.
Settling down
But Vogelsong (5-12) settled down to beat the Astros for the second time in as many starts, allowing just one earned run in each. Salomon Torres followed with two scoreless innings before Mike Gonzalez got one out in the ninth ahead of back-to-back singles by Brad Ausmus and pinch-hitter Jason Alfaro.
HOUSTONPITTSBURGH
abrhbiabrhbi
Biggio lf5122Kendall c4231
CBeltrn cf4010JWilsn ss4120
Bgwell 1b4010Bay lf5124
Brkmn rf4010Ward 1b3010
JKent 2b4010CWilsn rf4000
Lamb 3b4010Gnzalez p0000
JVzcno ss3000Mesa p0000
Asmus c4110TRdmn cf4120
Backe p1000Wggntn 3b4010
Hrvlle p0000Castillo 2b4000
Ensbrg ph1000Vglsng p1000
Sprger p0000Hill ph1010
DMiceli p0000STorres p0000
Alfaro ph1010Mckwk rf1000
Totals35292Totals355125
Houston100000001--2
Pittsburgh30001100x--5
E--Biggio (7). DP--Houston 1, Pittsburgh 1. LOB--Houston 10, Pittsburgh 10. 2B--CBeltran (16), Lamb (14), Kendall (26), Bay (21), TRedman (14). HR--Biggio (22), Bay (23). S--Vogelsong.
IPHRERBBSO
Houston
Backe L,3-35 2-375426
Harville1-320001
Springer120000
DMiceli110011
Pittsburgh
Vglsng W,5-12651133
STorres210001
Gonzalez1-321101
Mesa S,392-310000
HBP--by Vogelsong (Backe). WP--Vogelsong. Umpires--Home, Bill Miller; First, Brian Gorman; Second, Dale Scott; Third, Ron Kulpa. T--2:54. A--14,877.