Pirates  0    Astros  5

Recap: Houston vs. Pittsburgh

Sports Network | July 8, 2009

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Wandy Rodriguez threw his first shutout of the season as the Houston Astros took a 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the finale of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park.

Rodriguez (8-6) gave up just five hits, all singles and one walk while tying his career-high with 11 strikeouts.

Lance Berkman went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Michael Bourn had two hits, including a triple, scored twice and drove in a run for the Astros, who have won three of four.

Ramon Vazquez had a hit and a walk while Charlie Morton (1-2) was charged with five runs on 10 hits with a walk and three strikeouts in four innings of work for the Pirates, who have dropped four of their last five games.

The Astros grabbed the lead in the third inning. With one out, Bourn legged out a triple with a fly ball to dead center. Miguel Tejada followed with a single to bring home Bourn. Berkman then laced a double to center and Tejada tried to score, but he was nailed at the plate on a nice relay play. However, Carlos Lee followed with a double that scored Berkman for a 2-0 lead.

Houston padded its lead in the fourth inning. With two outs and men on first and third, Bourn singled to center to bring home Kaz Matsui. After Tejada singled to load the bases, Berkman's two-run single gave his team a 5-0 lead.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, was cruising through his start. Over the first six innings, he allowed just four hits and struck out nine. Only one Pirate reached second base, Andy LaRoche in the second inning.

Rodriguez gave up a single in the seventh and a walk in the eighth. In the ninth he gave up a two-out single to Delwyn Young, but got Garrett Jones to look at strike three and end the game.

Pittsburgh starts a three-game series against the Phillies in Philadelphia on Friday...Houston travels to Washington for the start of a four-game set on Thursday. Before the regularly scheduled game at 8:05 p.m. (et), the teams will finish a game that was halted on May 5th due to rain. That game will start a 6:05 p.m. (et) in the bottom of the 11th...Rodriguez's last shutout came on July 6, 2007 against the Mets. He has a three-game winning streak...Berkman has a 10-game hitting streak...Pittsburgh is 0-7-1 in its last eight road series...The Astros stole three bases in the game, with Bourn swiping his 28th bag of the campaign...Houston has won eight of the 12 games against Pittsburgh this season.