PITTSBURGH, July 6 (UPI) -- Lance Berkman and Daryle Ward homered Saturday night as the Houston Astros pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-2, for their eighth win in 11 games.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Pirates starter Kip Wells (9-6), Houston scored three times in the fourth and added four runs in the fifth.
Berkman led off the fourth with his major league-leading 29th homer and Jeff Bagwell followed with his 15th.
Ward doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Geoff Blum but did serious damage in the fifth with his second career grand slam, a blast that traveled 479 feet over the right field fence and became the first ball hit directly into the Allegheny River.
Berkman had two hits, scored three runs and collected his major league-best 81st RBI. He also broke Bagwell's club record for homers before the All-Star break.
The offense was more than enough for Houston starter Nelson Cruz (1-4), who allowed three hits in six scoreless innings.
Wells, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in his last start, was roughed up for eight runs -- seven earned -- and eight hits in 4 1/3 frames. He missed an opportunity to become the first Pittsburgh starter to win 10 games before the All-Star break since Bob Walk in 1993.
