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Berkman homers twice to lead Astros past Padres

Aug 18, 2007 - 6:56 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Lance Berkman belted a pair of homers to lift the Houston Astros over the San Diego Padres, 3-1, on Friday.

Woody Williams (7-12) turned in a solid effort against his former team, yielding one run and six hits over seven innings for the Astros, who ended a brief two-game slide to win for the fourth time in six contests.

Berkman snapped a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a two-run shot against Heath Bell (5-4). It was the second homer of the night for Berkman - who also homered in the third - and his first multi-home run game of the season.

"Both (home run pitches) were breaking balls that were up a little bit," Berkman said. "I saw the ball well and got the bat on both of them. It certainly feels good to get a few hits and contribute to the team and do my part."

Bell, who has taken over as the primary eighth-inning option since Scott Linebrink was traded to Milwaukee before the deadline, had not surrendered a run in seven appearances entering Friday's game.

The righthanded setup man yielded a one-out single to Mark Loretta before Berkman drove a 2-0 offering over the wall in right for the game-winner.

"I've got to go out there and make a perfect pitch because that's who I am and our pitching staff is really good," Bell said. "Lance is a good hitter. If you make a mistake, he's going to make you pay just like he did tonight, twice."

Williams has surrendered just four earned runs in his last four outings, a stretch of 20 innings which he has gone 2-0. He walked one and struck out four against San Diego, where he spent the last two seasons before signing with Houston as a free agent.

"There is always a comfort level when you have pitched somewhere for so long," Williams said. "It was a good time in my career to play here in San Diego. Petco Park has been good to me."

"Woody did a masterful job," Houston manager Phil Garner said. "He has certainly pitched better this second half, but we're starting to get a lot more confidence in him. He's holding the damage down and he's very capable of pitching a game like he did tonight. He did a nice job tonight."

Chad Qualls worked around a pair of singles in a scoreless eighth before Brad Lidge came on to retire the side in the ninth for his 10th save in 15 chances.

San Diego starter Jake Peavy matched Williams for seven innings, allowing only Berkman's solo shot and leaving with the game tied at 1-1.

"(The home run) was a curveball, the one and only one I threw tonight," Peavy said. "He's a good hitter and he made it hurt."

The All-Star righthander fanned 11 batters - the sixth time this season he has reached double digits in strikeouts - and yielded four hits while walking two.

"I thought Jake pitched outstanding, and Woody matched him pitch-for-pitch," Padres manager Bud Black said. "It was a great pitchers' duel."

San Diego tied the game in the fourth with singles by Adrian Gonzalez and Khalil Greene and a run-scoring groundout by Terrmel Sledge.

Gonzalez had three hits for the Padres (65-56), who fell four games behind first-place Arizona (70-53) in the National League West standings.