Astros complete sweep of Pirates with 10-3 win

HOUSTON (AP) — Lance Berkman hit his first home run, Carlos Lee and Pedro Feliz drove in two runs apiece and the Houston Astros completed a three-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 10-3 victory on Sunday.

Brett Myers (1-1) allowed 11 singles and struck out six in six innings and Michael Bourn tied a single-game career high with three steals. The Astros have won eight of 10 games after an 0-8 start.

Charlie Morton (0-4) gave up five runs and five hits in three innings for the Pirates, who've lost six in a row. Morton has allowed 24 earned runs in 13 1-3 innings this season.

Garrett Jones, Ryan Doumit and Andy LaRoche singled in the second inning to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. Myers then fanned Morton for his 1,000th career strikeout.

Berkman led off the Houston half of the second with a homer to left. It was Berkman's 314th career home run, tying him with Reggie Smith for fifth all-time among switch hitters.

Feliz singled later in the inning, stole second and scored on J.R. Towles' single to put Houston up 2-1. The Astros stole six bases, their highest total since stealing seven in a May 2006 game against Washington.

The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the third. Bourn scored on a fielder's choice before Feliz drove a two-run single to center for a 5-1 lead. Feliz had five RBIs in the series.

The Pirates had two men aboard with one out in the fourth. Pinch-hitter Delwyn Young hit a hard shot to the mound, Myers fell down as he scooped it up and threw to Feliz to tag out the lead runner.

Brian Bass relieved Morton for the Houston half of the fourth and walked Bourn and Jeff Keppinger with one out. Pittsburgh's pitchers gave up eight walks.

Lee then found the gap with a liner to right-center. He slid into third, Bobby Crosby's relay throw skipped away from LaRoche and Lee was awarded home for an 8-1 lead.

Lee came in hitting .143 and manager Brad Mills moved him to the No. 3 spot in the lineup to try to get him going. When Lee returned to the dugout, pitcher Bud Norris jokingly cooled him down with a towel and checked his pulse.

The Pirates loaded the bases and added a run in the sixth, but Myers got Aki Iwamura on a groundout to end the threat.

Houston scored two runs in the seventh off left-hander Brian Burres. Tommy Manzella drove in the first with a double to right and Burres yielded a bases-loaded walk to Keppinger to make it 10-2.

Jeff Clement doubled and scored in the eighth against Tim Byrdak, the first run allowed by the Astros' bullpen in 12 1-3 innings.

NOTES: The Pirates have been outscored 55-9 during their six-game skid. ... Pence, Berkman and Manzella all accidentally threw their bats on swinging strikes. Pence also threw a bat into the seats in Saturday's game. ... Pirates P Chris Jakubauskas was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a concussion and bruise after he was struck in the head by a line drive in Saturday's game. He was released from the hospital on Sunday. The Pirates recalled Burres and picked up Bass' contract from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game. The team also optioned right-hander Daniel McCutchen to Indianapolis and designated outfielder Brandon Jones for assignment to clear roster space for Bass. ... Pirates SS Ronny Cedeno was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to flulike symptoms.