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WASHINGTON - The Houston Astros' rough start is a thing of the past, and the Nationals are playing little like the team that had a strong first half.
Roy Oswalt pitched eight shutout innings and delivered his first RBI of the season, part of an 11-hit attack that helped Houston beat Washington 3-2 Thursday night for the Astros' season-high fifth straight road victory.
"We have made up a lot of ground since the All-Star break," said Oswalt, who has won seven of his past eight starts. "You have to win ... on the road. That is the biggest thing."
Washington, meanwhile, has lost 11 of 15, and it dropped into a first-place tie in the East with the idle Braves. The Nationals led by 51/2 on July 3.
"What we're going to have to do," Nationals manager Frank Robinson said, "is get this thing going before we fall too far behind."
Oswalt gave up six hits, three times allowing two in an inning. He was best in the clutch, allowing an 0-for-3 performance with runners in scoring position and inducing three double plays.
He also hit two batters but struck out six without giving up a walk. Oswalt threw 77 of 93 pitches for strikes.
"He got stronger as the game went on," manager Phil Garner said. "I thought the key tonight was he pounded the strike zone. I don't think it was luck that they hit into double plays."
Brad Lidge gave up Preston Wilson's 17th homer, a two-run shot on a full count with one out in the ninth, before finishing for his 22nd save. That made this Washington's sixth straight loss in a one-run game.
It was the latest poor showing by a Nationals offense that has scored more than four once in its past 10 games, averaging 2.9 in that span. Washington has lost eight of those.
"Things are going bad," first baseman Brad Wilkerson said. "They keep swamping on us right now."
The home clubhouse was mostly empty and quiet after the game, the only sound the whirr of a fan. The stereo and TV were off. And there's more bad news for the Nationals.
They face Roger Clemens today, and outfielder Jose Guillen, whose 19 homers and 54 RBIs lead the team, said he might get a cortisone shot, which could cause him to miss time.
REDS 9, CUBS 6: Greg Maddux came up short of 3,000 strikeouts, and a bullpen meltdown denied him his elusive first win at Great American Ball Park as well.
Roberto Novoa balked home the tying run in the eighth and Austin Kearns followed with a two-run single to rally Cincinnati. Former Devil Ray Javier Valentin homered twice and Rich Aurilia added one, helping the Reds split the four-game series.
Maddux struck out four, leaving him two shy of becoming the 13th pitcher to reach 3,000.
DODGERS 1, PHILLIES 0: Odalis Perez took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and Jeff Kent drove in a run in the first, leading visiting Los Angeles.
Perez stymied Philadelphia, jamming left-handers with near-impeccable control. Making his fourth start since coming off the disabled list after missing 46 games with shoulder soreness, the left-hander matched his longest outing of the season with seven three-hit innings.
BREWERS 12, CARDINALS 7: Geoff Jenkins had three hits and three RBIs to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 14 games, and visiting Milwaukee capitalized on shoddy defense to earn a four-game split. The Brewers' 14-hit attack chased Jason Marquis in the fifth and featured run-scoring singles from starter Chris Capuano and reliever Matt Wise, Wise's first career hit.
METS 12, PADRES 0: David Wright singled and doubled during a seven-run sixth and host New York roughed up All-Star Jake Peavy to complete a three-game sweep. West-leading San Diego lost its fourth in a row, one shy of its longest skid of the season.
PIRATES 8, ROCKIES 1: Rookie Zach Duke won his third straight start and Jason Bay went 3-for-4 with a homer as host Pittsburgh snapped a five-game losing streak.