MLB: Houston 5, Pittsburgh 1

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Randy Wolf allowed only three hits over seven innings Friday, helping Houston end a five-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh.

The Astros had their late-season bid for a playoff spot dramatically slowed when they had to take two days off because of Hurricane Ike. Friday's win was Houston's first since the storm hit the Gulf Coast.

Houston faced a five-game deficit in the wild card race going into the evening's action.

Wolf (11-12) surrendered one run and struck out seven. He left the game with a 2-1 lead, but that advantage was expanded when Houston scored three times in the eighth -- two of those runs coming on a double by Hunter Pence.

Pence also singled in Houston's first run in the fourth.

Ian Snell (6-12) was the hard-luck loser. He gave up just two runs, only one of which was earned, on three hits over six innings.