Rodriguez hits 300th homer in Astros' win over Cubs

[May 18, 2009]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Ivan Rodriguez hit his 300th home run, Lance Berkman had two hits and an RBI and the Houston Astros snapped the Chicago Cubs' five-game winning streak with a 6-5 victory Sunday.

Houston starter Brian Moehler (1-0) pitched five innings to get his first victory since Sept. 10, 2008, against Pittsburgh.

Moehler was backed by a strong performance from the Houston bullpen. Tim Byrdak pitched a perfect sixth, Alberto Arias pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings.

Chris Sampson pitched 1 2-3 innings for his first career save despite giving up a solo shot to Alfonso Soriano and an RBI single to Milton Bradley. He ended the game by getting Geovany Soto to line out to third with runners on first and second.

Derrek Lee was 4 for 5 with a home run for the Cubs who had its season-high winning streak snapped.

After not allowing a hit for the first three innings and holding a 2-0 lead, Cubs starter Rich Harden gave up a leadoff double to Berkman. One out later, Miguel Tejada hit an RBI double and scored on Geoff Blum's single. Then on a 1-2 pitch, Rodriguez launched a two-run homer into the center-field basket to put the Astros ahead 4-2. It was his 293rd homer as a catcher, good for seventh all-time.

The Astros added two runs in the seventh. Cubs reliever Jose Ascanio hit the first two batters in the inning and Berkman followed with an RBI single. Michael Bourn scored on Ascanio's wild pitch to give the Astros a 6-3 lead.

Soriano led off the third inning with a single and scored from first on Ryan Theriot's double. After Kosuke Fukudome singled, Lee drove Moehler's pitch to the left-center wall for a double to score Theriot.

Moehler gave up a solo shot to Lee in the fifth inning. He allowed three runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked two and hit a batter.

Harden (4-2), who had won his four previous decisions, gave up four runs and six hits. He had seven strikeouts and walked three.

Notes: Cubs RHP Carlos Zambrano allowed four runs on five hits over 3 2-3 innings in rehab start for Daytona on Sunday. Zambrano is on the DL with a strained hamstring. ... A day after closer Kevin Gregg gave up a four-run lead in the ninth, Cubs manager Lou Piniella said Gregg's job is safe, "Barring an injury we're going to stay the way we are."

[Associated Press]

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