HOUSTON (AP) – Ben Sheets scattered eight hits in his fourth complete game of the season, and Geoff Jenkins hit a tiebreaking home run as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday.
The Astros, who have lost six of eight, slipped one-half game behind Philadelphia in the NL wild-card race.
Jenkins snapped a 2-all tie in the seventh with his 17th home run off Chad Harville (0-2).
Sheets (9-9) struck out eight and walked none. He has allowed only eight walks in his last 11 games.
Sheets had been 0-2 against the Astros this season before pitching his 11th career complete game.
Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez had control problems in his five innings, walking four and hitting two batters. But he was helped by two double plays and allowed two runs and six hits.
Rodriguez, whose first major league win came at Milwaukee on May 28, is still tied for second among NL rookies with eight wins.
The Brewers scored in the first when Morgan Ensberg mishandled Carlos Lee’s dribbler to third, allowing Corey Hart to score.
Milwaukee made it 2-0 in the fourth on another ball that didn’t leave the infield. With the bases loaded, Lyle Overbay hit a slow infield bouncer off Rodriguez’s glove that scored Chad Moeller for a 2-0 lead. The Brewers had left eight on base by that time.
Houston got one back on Willy Taveras’ RBI single in the fifth inning.
The Astros tied it the next inning when Jason Lane doubled and Adam Everett drove him in with a single to center.
Notes: Astros C Humberto Quintero was hit on the helmet by Lee’s backswing in the first inning. Quintero sat on the field for several minutes, appearing stunned as the trainers examined him, then returned to play. … The Brewers, who could take the series with a win Sunday, haven’t won a series in Houston since Sept. 26-28, 2003, when they won two of three. That’s the only series Milwaukee has ever won at Minute Maid. … Taveras got two hits and two stolen bases and continues to lead all major league rookies with 140 hits and 31 stolen bases this season.
AP-ES-08-20-05 2153EDT
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