HOUSTON, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Ramon Castro drove in three runs and Julian Tavarez earned his first win since July 4 Thursday as the Florida Marlins averted a three-game sweep with a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
The loss snapped a four-game Houston winning streak. The Astros are 26-11 since June 27 and began the day a game out of the lead in the NL Central.
A first-round pick of the Astros in 1994 who was traded to Florida in 1998, Castro staked the Marlins to a 3-1 lead with an RBI single in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the fifth.
Florida's backup catcher, Castro was making just his ninth start of the season and raised his average to .236. Tavarez (8-9) pitched six innings and allowed two runs and five hits.
Braden Looper picked up his sixth save despite giving up an RBI single to Lance Berkman in the ninth.
Jeff Bagwell drove in two runs for Houston with an RBI single in the third inning and a run-scoring groundout in the fourth.
Houston starter Pete Munro (2-2) lasted just four innings and yielded three runs and six hits.
