Last-place Astros beat Bucs to avoid three-game sweep

The game was tied until the seventh innning when Houston scored twice to take the lead.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Geoff Blum hit a three-run homer in the first inning and the Houston Astros avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 on Wednesday night.

Kazuo Matsui, Ty Wigginton and Michael Bourn each had two hits for the Astros, who blew a four-run lead before scoring twice in the seventh.

Last-place Houston, which had lost seven of eight, is one game behind the Pirates in the NL Central.

Nate McLouth had three doubles and scored twice for Pittsburgh, which has dropped four of six.

The go-ahead run came without a ball leaving the infield. Bourn reached on a bunt single against Sean Burnett (0-1) and was sacrificed to second by Brad Ausmus. Pinch-hitter Mark Loretta chopped a ball just in front of home plate, and Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit threw to third too late to get the speedy Bourn.

Hunter Pence followed with an RBI groundout before Matsui hit a double to center that drove in Loretta to give the Astros a two-run lead.

Houston starter Brian Moehler (5-4) was the beneficiary of that rally. He earned the win after allowing four runs, seven hits and a walk in six innings. Jose Valverde pitched a scoreless ninth for his 23rd save.

The Astros jumped out early against John Van Benschoten, who is 2-12 with an 8.96 ERA in his career. Van Benschoten retired his first two batters but allowed the next six to reach. He walked Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee before Blum drove the first pitch he saw to right for his sixth homer.

Three singles later, it was 4-0. Van Benschoten struck out Moehler to complete a 35-pitch inning.

Perhaps pitching to stay in the majors, the former first-round pick didn’t allow another run — but he did yield eight more base runners in his remaining 32‚Ñ3 innings. Van Benschoten’s final line: four runs on seven hits and six walks with six strikeouts. He threw 117 pitches.

The Pirates made it 4-1 when Xavier Nady tripled leading off the second and scored on Adam LaRoche’s groundout.

Pittsburgh added two more with two outs in the third on Doumit’s RBI single and Jason Bay’s run-scoring double.

The Pirates tied it at 4 in the fifth on Freddy Sanchez’s sacrifice fly.