"He really settled down after the second and kept the ball down," said assistant Astros GM David Gottfried, who is on the eight-game trip in place of GM Ed Wade.

--C Ivan Rodriguez, who didn't sign with the Marlins because he wanted to start at least five days a week, will return to the starting lineup Friday after being out of the lineup Wednesday.

"I feel good," he said. "That's why I work all the time every day so I can remain strong. I know as a catcher you need rest, but I'm fine."

--C Humberto Quintero made about a dozen throws to trainer Nate Lucero from about 70 feet Wednesday.

"It still hurts a bit here," Quintero said as he pointed to the right side of his neck. "If I hadn't hit my shoulder when I fell, I would have been fine."

Quintero went on the disabled list Saturday after suffering a strained right shoulder Friday in a collision blocking the plate on Milwaukee's Mike Cameron.

"I was surprised that he was (throwing)," manager Cecil Cooper said of Quintero. "I found out he threw (Tuesday) a little bit, too. I didn't know that. But (Wednesday) I was surprised to see him out there. ... He said he felt much better (Wednesday)."

BY THE NUMBERS: 3 -- RHP Geoff Geary suffered three losses in relief on the Astros' 10-game homestand, prompting manager Cecil Cooper to make clear that he must see improvement from the veteran.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "After things started to escalate a little bit (between Astros catcher Pudge Rodriguez and plate umpire Mike DiMuro after Rodriguez was ejected Saturday), I was trying to make sure Pudge gets out. I knew I wasn't finished. I had to go out and tell him he blew a lot of calls tonight. He was missing a lot of pitches. A lot of our guys were complaining. I had to tell him. And when I told him, he basically said, 'You're out of here.' I thought he had a bad zone." -- Manager Cecil Cooper, on his ejection from the April 25 game.