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HOUSTON - Roger Clemens pitched seven strong innings on the eve of his 42nd birthday but was denied the win by his bullpen before the Astros rebounded to beat Atlanta 3-2 Tuesday night and stop the Braves' five-game winning streak.
Clemens, who allowed four hits, left with a 2-1 lead after walking the first two batters in the eighth. Dan Miceli retired Charles Thomas on a forceout, then loaded the bases with a walk to Marcus Giles and allowed a run-scoring grounder to Chipper Jones.
Miceli reloaded the bases with a walk to Johnny Estrada, then struck out Adam LaRoche to end the threat.
Clemens, who struck out six and walked three, remained at 322 victories, two behind Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton for 12th on the career list. He gave up two runs, one earned.
The Rocket, whose birthday is today, is 2-0 in four starts since the All-Star Game, when he gave up six first-inning runs before his hometown fans in the AL's 9-4 win.
Houston went back ahead in the bottom half off Chris Reitsma. Morgan Ensberg doubled, Mike Lamb had a pinch-hit single and Jose Vizcaino hit a run-scoring grounder, with Lamb barreling into second baseman Giles to prevent what would have been an inning-ending double play.
Brad Lidge struck out the final three batters for his 12th save in 14 chances.
The Astros (54-52) moved two games above .500 for the first time since July 9, when they were 44-42.
Atlanta's Russ Ortiz gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. He's 6-0 in his past eight start.
Andruw Jones' run-scoring single put Atlanta ahead in the second after an error by Ensberg at third.
DODGERS 3, PIRATES 2: Brad Penny held Pittsburgh to two infield singles over eight scoreless innings in his first game since being traded for host Los Angeles.
Penny got past the seventh inning for the first time in 12 starts since May 27, striking out four and walking one in the Dodgers' 16th win in 21 games.
Eric Gagne allowed two-out run-scoring singles to Rob Mackowiak and Craig Wilson in the ninth before striking out Jason Bay for his 31st save.
GIANTS 11, REDS 0: Barry Bonds homered twice and rookie Noah Lowry carried a no-hit bid into the seventh on the way to his first major-league victory for host San Francisco.
Bonds matched a season high with five RBIs, raising his home-run total to 29 this season and 687 in his career. J.T. Snow matched a career high with four hits for the Giants, who had lost four of five.
Bonds hit a three-run homer in the third, sending the first pitch he saw from former Devil Ray Cory Lidle into the rightfield arcade. Bonds connected in the seventh in a span of three consecutive San Francisco homers. Snow homered leading off the inning, then Bonds splashed a 2-and-2 pitch into McCovey Cove. Pedro Feliz followed with his 15th homer, chasing Lidle.
EXPOS 10, CARDINALS 6 (12): Tony Batista hit a grand slam in the 12th after tying it with a two-run shot in the ninth, leading visiting Montreal.
Albert Pujols became the first player to hit at least 30 home runs in his each of his first four seasons on a major-league roster when he hit a two-run homer to straightaway center off spot starter Sun-Woo Kim with one out in the first.
CUBS 5, ROCKIES 3: Kerry Wood pitched eight innings despite a shaky start and Derrek Lee hit his 21st homer in a five-run second that lifted visiting Chicago. Wood gave up three runs in the first but allowed three hits over the next seven for his third win in five starts since coming off the disabled list after a triceps strain.
PHILLIES 5, PADRES 2: Brett Myers pitched six solid innings for his first win since June 17 and Jim Thome hit his major league-high 32nd home run for visiting Philadelphia. Chase Utley's pinch single drove in two to break a tie at 1 in the Phillies' three-run seventh.
D'BACKS 5, MARLINS 3: Danny Bautista hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth and Arizona won at home for the first time in nearly a month. The Diamondbacks had lost 11 straight home games, a team record, since beating Minnesota 6-2 on July 4.
METS 12, BREWERS 3: Al Leiter held Milwaukee to one run over seven innings and visiting New York scored five in the sixth and ninth innings to snap a three-game skid.