Astros 9, Phillies 8

PHILADELPHIA – Carlos Beltran’s two-run double in the eighth inning helped Houston beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-8 after Roger Clemens joined Andy Pettitte on the Astros’ injury list.

Clemens is day to day after straining his right calf running to first base on his two-run single in the fourth. The six-time AL Cy Young Award winner gave up four runs in three innings.

Before the game, the Astros learned Pettitte will have season-ending elbow surgery next week.

Beltran finished with two hits and three RBIs for Houston, desperately trying to stay in the NL wild-card race. Brad Lidge retired pinch-hitter Chase Utley on a shallow fly with the bases loaded to end the game.

Marlon Byrd and Placido Polanco homered for the free-falling Phillies, who fell to 1-8 on their homestand.

Chad Harville (1-2) got the final two outs in the seventh. Dan Miceli pitched a scoreless eighth, and Lidge finished for his 14th save in 16 chances.

After the Phillies took an 8-7 lead in the seventh, the Astros rallied against Todd Jones (8-4).

Morgan Ensberg led off the inning with a single. He went to third when Jones threw wildly to second for an error on Jose Vizcaino’s sacrifice bunt.

Felix Rodriguez came in and struck out pinch-hitter Mike Lamb before walking Jason Lane to load the bases. Rheal Cormier entered and struck out pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro, but Beltran lined a shot off the wall in left-center field, scoring two runs.

Polanco’s homer off Chad Qualls got the Phillies to 7-6 in the seventh. David Bell’s two-run double put Philadelphia ahead 8-7.

The Phillies’ struggling offense, which averaged 2.8 runs in the previous five games, got on track against Clemens, who is 3-4 in 13 starts since opening the season 9-0.

But right after the Phillies took a three-run lead in the third, Cory Lidle gave it right back.

Jeff Kent and Vizcaino had RBI singles to cut it to 4-3. Clemens, a career .197 hitter, then put the Astros ahead 5-4 when he lined a 3-1 pitch to right field, scoring Ensberg and Vizcaino, and chasing Lidle.

Craig Biggio added an RBI double and Beltran capped the six-run inning with a sacrifice fly.

Byrd’s solo homer off David Weathers cut it to 7-5 in the fourth.

Jimmy Rollins had an RBI single, Bobby Abreu added a sacrifice fly and Jim Thome drove in a run with a double to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead in the third.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead on an RBI double by Lance Berkman in the first. Rollins tripled leading off Philadelphia’s first and scored on a one-out wild pitch to tie it.

Notes: Thome is hitting .345 (19-for-55) against Clemens with 16 RBIs. He has seven doubles and eight homers among his 19 hits. … Clemens is 3-for-3 lifetime as a hitter with the bases loaded. … Berkman’s run-scoring double was his 500th career RBI. … A sellout crowd of 43,895 gave the Phillies 37 sellouts in 62 games at their new park. … Each member of Houston’s starting lineup had a hit. … Pettitte was 6-4 with a 3.90 ERA in 15 starts in his first season with the Astros. … Phillies RHP Brian Powell left with a strained right biceps after getting two outs to finish the fourth. … Houston used 21 players, including seven pitchers.

AP-ES-08-18-04 2228EDT