Cards let another close one slip away

HOUSTON -- Wade Miller provided most of his own run support Tuesday night.

Miller hit a two-run double and allowed three hits over seven innings to lead the Astros over the Cardinals 3-2.

"It's nice going out there and knowing where you are going to throw the ball," Miller said. "It was nice to get on the board early with a hit, but there was a lot of ballgame still left at that point."

Adam Everett drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, helping send St. Louis to its ninth loss in 14 games.

"That was nice," Everett said. "It was one of those things where I got a pitch over the plate, and I got enough bat on it to get it into the outfield. It was indescribable. with all the fans yelling and screaming, it was electric in the stadium."

Houston moved past St. Louis into sole possession of second place in the NL Central, 1 1/2 games behind division-leading Chicago, and dropped the Cardinals to 2-11 in one-run games.

Miller (2-5), whose only win in nine previous starts this season had been May 5 against Pittsburgh, struck out five and walked none.

Octavio Dotel pitched a hitless eighth, and Billy Wagner survived a shaky ninth to finish the four-hitter and get his 11th save in 12 chances.

St. Louis loaded the bases on Fernando Vina's leadoff single, Albert Pujols' one-out infield single and Scott Rolen's two-out walk, but pinch-hitter Edgar Renteria hit a game-ending groundout.

"This was a typical Astros-Cardinals game," Wagner said. "We match up pretty well. That's what you expect, a tough game. It's a game where you have to battle. I like competing against good competition like the Cardinals."

Garrett Stephenson (3-3), winless in six road starts this year, gave up three runs, six hits and four walks in six innings.

"Garrett pitched a very good game -- Miller was better," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "Our starters have been doing a good job, but you can't sit on your laurels. Garrett did a god job, but he needed to pitch just a little better."

St. Louis went ahead in the first when Jim Edmonds tripled to the center-field hill and scored Rolen's groundout.

Miller, 4-for-16 with no RBIs coming in, doubled for a 2-1 Houston lead in the second after singles by Brad Ausmus and Everett.

"That was just a mental lapse," Stephenson said. "I'd thrown him a curve and I was trying to come in with a fastball. Instead, I just threw him a strike. Most half-decent hitters will hit that. It was horrible. I sure wasn't crazy about that pitch. It was my only lapse pitch all night, and he got me."

Pujols tied it in the fourth with his 12th homer, but the Astros went back ahead in the sixth when Richard Hidalgo singled, advanced on a grounder and scored without a throw on a single by Everett, who was 2-for-4.

Houston's top three hitters of Lance Berkman, Jeff Bagwell and Jeff Kent combined to go 1-for-9 while Everett got the game-winner.

"They have a great lineup but one pitch cost me the game," Stephenson said. "It was a good pitch. Everett just hit it off the end of his bat. Basically that's the game. Both hits Everett got were really good pitches. He just happened to loop them over the infield. That's why you're in the big leagues. He won the game for them on a good pitch."

Stephenson had gotten in trouble in the fifth with consecutive walks, but Lance Berkman hit into an inning-ending double play.

Noteworthy

Rolen went 0-for-3, ending his 13-game hitting streak, one short of his career high. ... Astros 3B Geoff Blum was a late scratch and was hospitalized for observation with headache and fever. ... Jeff Bagwell is one of four NL first baseman without an error in 30 or more games. ... Ausmus and St. Louis C Mike Matheny are errorless this season. ... The Cardinals are 14-7 at home, 8-14 on the road.