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Rodriguez allowed nine hits, including a solo homer by Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano, but Chicago stranded seven runners and dropped its third straight game. The Cubs lost 2-1 to the Astros Friday night.
Carlos Lee and Miguel Tejada had RBI for the Astros, who’ve won four in a row and five of their last six.
Zambrano (10-4) allowed four runs and walked six, a season high. He hit his 14th career homer in the seventh inning, a Cubs record for a pitcher.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Hunter Pence grounded into a fielder’s choice with Lee on third. Lee led off with a walk, advanced on Tejada’s single to right and scored on Pence’s groundout to Ryan Theriot.
The Cubs stranded five runners in the first three innings.
Rodriguez, 2-for-25 at the plate coming into the game, led off the Houston third with a bloop single to right. He went to second on Kaz Matsui’s groundout and scored on Lee’s single to left. Lee has 16 RBIs in July.
Tejada added an RBI single later in the third for a 3-0 lead.
Zambrano walked two Astros in the fourth to reach five for the game. He retired the Astros in order for the first time in the fifth inning.
Rodriguez pitched a perfect sixth as the Cubs’ offense continued to stall.
After striking out twice, Zambrano provided his own run support in the seventh with a solo homer to right. Zambrano has hit four homers at Minute Maid Park, the most by any pitcher in the history of the ballpark, which opened in 2000.
Theriot followed Zambrano’s shot with a single to left and Houston manager Cecil Cooper replaced Rodriguez with Chris Sampson. Rodriguez got a standing ovation from the capacity crowd as he walked to the dugout.
Pinch-hitter David Newhan led off the Houston seventh with a triple to right-center. Newhan scored on Darin Erstad’s groundout to make it 4-1 and after Lance Berkman beat out an infield hit, Cubs manager Lou Piniella brought in Chad Gaudin to relieve Zambrano.
Zambrano dropped to 5-1 in 10 starts against the NL Central this season.
Notes:@ Theriot singled in the first inning to extend his career-best hitting streak to 12 games. ... The Cubs have recorded at least one double in 17 consecutive games. ... The Astros have their first four-game wining streak since mid-May.
