Astros 4, Mets 3
Astros 4, Mets 3: Jed Lowrie drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth and host Houston got a strong performance from its bullpen in edging New York.
Matt Downs hit a two-run homer and Travis Buck drove in a run for the Astros.
Jordan Schafer singled to lead off the eighth against Manny Acosta (0-2) and stole second with one out. Lowrie followed and sent a line drive back threw the middle that glanced off Acosta’s glove and into center field, plating Schafer.
Schafer has reached base safely in all 23 games. The Astros record is 25 set by Dennis Menke in 1969.
Houston used six relievers to record the final seven outs. Fernando Rodriguez (1-3) got credit for the win and Brett Myers worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save.
It started as a pitcher’s duel with Mets right-hander R.A. Dickey taking a no-hitter through five innings. But Houston got to the veteran knuckleballer in the sixth with a three-run rally.
Schafer led off the frame with a single and had worked around to third by the time Buck’s groundout forced him home. Downs followed and caught a knuckleball up in the zone, blasting it into the Crawford boxes in left for a 3-0 lead.
Bud Norris had allowed two hits through the first six innings for the Astros but fell apart in the seventh, yielding three runs to tie it up. Norris ended up surrendering seven hits and striking out seven in 6 2/3 frames.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada, who went 10-for-17 over the weekend in Colorado, went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts on Monday. … Myers has allowed one run in seven appearances for a 1.35 ERA. … Andres Torres, who was activated from the disabled list prior to the game, went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for New York.