By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON(AP) -- Wandy Rodriguez resembled an ace more than Cliff
Lee did on Friday night, and the Houston Astros looked more like
the team closing in on a division title.

Rodriguez struck out seven in seven innings and drove in two
runs with a double to lead the Astros to a 7-0 victory over the
NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies.

Rodriguez (13-9) allowed seven hits without a walk to win his
fifth straight home decision. The 30-year-old left-hander came
in with a 1.73 ERA at Minute Maid Park this season.

"I had a great breaking ball, just the whole game, it broke very
good," Rodriguez said.

Lee (5-2), acquired from Cleveland on July 29, struggled for the
second straight start after his eight-game winning streak ended
against Atlanta on Saturday. The left-hander lasted only three
innings in this one, giving up six runs and nine hits.

"It was just one of those days where everything they hit found a
place," Lee said. "They were able to find all the open spots,
and that was basically it."

Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence homered for the Astros, who won for
the third time in 11 games.

Pence, Jeff Keppinger and Humberto Quintero singled off Lee with
no outs in the second to load the bases for Rodriguez, an .098
hitter. Rodriguez fought Lee to a full count, then fouled off
four straight pitches before lining a two-run double into the
right-field corner.

"I looked for a fastball in that situation, he threw a
fastball," Rodriguez said.

One out later, Kazuo Matsui doubled to left to make it 4-0. Lee,
acquired from Cleveland on July 29, gave up more than three runs
for just the sixth time in 29 starts in 2009.

Lee allowed a total of three runs in winning his first five
starts with the Phillies. He gave up six runs on 10 hits in last
weekend's loss to the Braves before his early exit on Friday.

Manager Charlie Manuel isn't worried.

"He is a pro and I know he can handle the pressure," Manuel
said. "That is how he got out to 5-0 with us this year. I am not
really concerned, it is just going to be a matter of him making
his pitches."

Miguel Tejada led off the Houston half of the third with a bloop
single to left and Pence followed with a home run to right, his
21st of the season. Lee has given up four homers in his last two
outings after not allowing any in his previous six.

Jamie Moyer started the fourth inning for the Phillies. It was
Lee's shortest outing since he gave up seven runs and 11 hits in
three innings against the Chicago White Sox on June 30.

The Astros are out of the playoff hunt, but they've beaten some
of the top pitchers in the NL this season - Josh Johnson, Matt
Cain, Adam Wainwright and now Lee among them.

"You should rise up every day, regardless of who you're facing,"
said Houston manager Cecil Cooper. "Sometimes, when one of the
tougher guys is out there, you do focus a little bit more, I
think."

Carlos Lee led off the Houston fifth with a homer to left, his
23rd of the season.

Rodriguez struck out a batter in each of the first six innings.
The Phillies loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but
Rodriguez got Jimmy Rollins to fly out before fanning Shane
Victorino on a high fastball.

"Wandy's had a great year for us," Cooper said. "That's a pretty
good hitting team on the other side. He really commanded the
zone. He kept them off-balance."

Rodriguez threw 111 pitches and Tim Byrdak relieved for the
eighth.

Aaron Boone, playing his first home game since open-heart
surgery in March, was hit by Tyler Walker's pitch in the bottom
of the eighth. He went to second on Michael Bourn's single and
was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Matsui's single
to center.

NOTES: Lee pitched fewer than six innings for only the fifth
time this season. ... The Astros reached their highest run total
in a home game since an 11-6 victory over St. Louis on July 21.
... The Phillies dropped to 19-9 against the NL Central this
season.