Lidge gets save in return as Phillies top Astros 7-5

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Lidge gets save in return as Phillies top Astros 7-5

There were a handful of boos and a smattering of cheers. None of it seemed to matter to Brad Lidge.

Lidge, whose topsy-turvy tenure as closer put Astros fans on an emotional roller coaster, made a triumphant return to Minute Maid Park on Thursday night and stuck it to his former team.

Lidge got former teammate Lance Berkman to fly out to left field to end the game and secure the Phillies' 7-5 win over the Astros, who saw their two-game winning streak snapped.

Entering the game in the ninth to a mixed reaction, Lidge struck out Michael Bourn - who was among the players the Phillies traded away to get Lidge - and got Kaz Matsui to ground out before Miguel Tejada shot a two-out single to right.

Those left in the crowd of 29,263 rose to their feet when Berkman came to the plate. But he swung at the first pitch - a fastball - and popped out to left field to secure his 12th save.

Berkman, who was 1-for-10 in the first three games of the home stand, returned to form by going 3-for-5. Third baseman Ty Wigginton returned to the lineup after two days off and had three hits, including two doubles, and two RBIs.

After scoring three times in the sixth to erase a 5-2 deficit, the Astros watched their bullpen give up a pair of runs in the eighth. Pat Burrell hit a pinch hit homer off Wesley Wright, and Chase Utley drove in run against Fernando Nieve to make it 7-5.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Lance Berkman's two-out double that scored Miguel Tejada from first base. Tejada reached on a fielder's choice that wiped out Michael Bourn at second.

Astros starter Roy Oswalt needed only pitches to breeze through the first inning, making a diving catch on a Jimmy Rollins pop up to open the game, before toiling through a 28-pitch second inning.

But Oswalt limited the damage to just one run despite allowing three hits and walking one batter in the inning. The Phillies tied the game on Carlos Ruiz's bases-loaded single, and the Astros took a 2-1 lead in the second on Brad Ausmus' sacrifice fly.

The first four batters reached against Oswalt in the third, with Ryan Howard driving home Shane Victorino with a double and Pedro Feliz scoring Chase Utley with a single. Howard scored on a Geoff Jenkins sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

Howard blasted a home run to left field - his 13th of the year - to lead off the fifth and put Philadelphia ahead 5-2. It was the 15th homer allowed this season by Oswalt, who gave up 14 last year.

Oswalt went six innings and allowed 11 hits and five earned runs.

The Astros chased Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick in the sixth. Kendrick hit Carlos Lee with a pitch to start the inning and gave up a single by Hunter Pence before Wigginton ripped a two-run double to left.

Kendrick was pulled after Ausmus pushed Wigginton to third with a sacrifice bunt, and pinch hitter Geoff Blum greeted reliever J.C. Romero with a game-tying single to left.