--With their 3-2 victory over the Cardinals, the Astros reached .500 for the first time this season and extended their season-long winning streak to six games.

"It means a lot (to be at .500)," LF Carlos Lee said. "We get to start over again. We'll try to go above .500 now and finish up this road trip and go back home and take off."

--RHP Shawn Chacon still is without a decision, but his manager and teammates were pleased at his perseverance after he gave up five hits and two runs (one earned) with six walks and three strikeouts over seven innings. Despite needing 61 pitches over the first two innings, Chacon kept it close on a night he issued the most walks he has allowed since he walked a career-high nine on May 7, 2005, against the Florida Marlins.

"The only thing I'm thinking there is (to) find a way to keep the game from getting out of hand and to battle the whole way through," Chacon said. "And just whatever it is, find a way to get outs. After the second inning everything just seemed to calm down and fall into place." Chacon needed only 50 pitches through his last five innings of work.

--LHP Wandy Rodriguez, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin muscle, will throw a bullpen session Saturday for the first time since he was hurt last Saturday night.

"I feel a lot better. I think I'll be ready after 15 days (on the DL). In 15 days (of DL), I want to be ready. My goal is (to pitch) 200 innings, and I want to reach that goal. I'll throw a bullpen (session) and then a simulated (game)."

--CF Michael Bourn, who hasn't played since Monday because of a strained left groin muscle, expects to be ready to start Saturday afternoon in the second game of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I feel all right," he said. "I feel pretty good."

Bourn will try to temper his eagerness. He entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning.

--1B Lance Berkman was back in the lineup Friday after turning his ankle a bit Thursday on the Great American Ball Park mound while celebrating the Astros' victory over the Cincinnati Reds. "He'd better stop celebrating," Cecil Cooper joked. "We're going to have to make sure he's not doing that. We want to have him in there 158 games or so. I just want him to stay hot with that bat."

--RHP Roy Oswalt (2-3, 6.00 ERA) will try to even his record and extend his winning streak to three games after losing his first three starts. He is 9-5 with a 2.79 ERA in the regular season in his career against the Cardinals, the team he beat twice during the 2005 National League Championship Series, including the decisive Game 6 that put the Astros in the World Series. RHP Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.73 ERA) will start for St. Louis.

BY THE NUMBERS: 24 -- Homers allowed by the Astros entering Sunday, which was the second-most in the NL. Of the 24 homers, 14 have been solo shots and the other 10 have been two-run homers, meaning the club has yet to allow a three-run homer or grand slam.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "If these guys got to get fired up for that, I might be the wrong guy for the job. We all have a job to do and go out and play hard every day. If that's what it takes to inspire them, then we have to rethink this thing." -- Manager Cecil Cooper commenting on getting ejected from Saturday's game.