Cubs drop out first in 5-4, 11-inning loss at Houston

HOUSTON (AP) _ Luke Scott tripled home the winning run in the 11th inning and the Houston Astros dropped the Cubs out of a tie for the NL Central lead, beating Chicago 5-4 Tuesday night.

The Cubs wasted a bases-loaded threat in the top of the 11th and fell one game behind Milwaukee, which beat Pittsburgh 6-1. Chicago has lost four of its last six.

Down 4-1 early, the Astros rallied and ended a five-game losing streak.

Ryan Dempster (2-6) walked Mark Loretta with one out in the 11th and Eric Bruntlett pinch-ran. Scott followed with his game-winner to the wall in right-center field

Brad Lidge (4-2) escaped a jam in the 11th by getting Jacque Jones to fly out, stranding three runners.

Hunter Pence had a two-run triple as the Astros won for the fifth time in 13 games since Cecil Cooper replaced Phil Garner as manager on Aug. 27.

Mark DeRosa hit a three-run homer for the Cubs.

The Cubs put two runners on with one out in both the eighth and ninth innings. Carlos Lee made a diving catch in left-center on Ryan Theriot's liner to end the first threat and DeRosa grounded into a double play to stall the second.

Chicago reliever Bob Howry retired the six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth Ã¢â‚¬â€ť striking out four Ã¢â‚¬â€ť to force extra innings.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second when Jones singled and scored on Jason Kendall's double.

Scott singled in the second and moved up on a grounder and Jason Marquis' wild pitch. When another pitch skipped past Kendall Ã¢â‚¬â€ť this one was ruled a passed ball Ã¢â‚¬â€ť Scott scored to tie the game.

Houston starter Brandon Backe walked Cliff Floyd leading off the third, Aramis Ramirez singled and DeRosa hit his ninth homer of the season.

Backe, making his second start since a yearlong recovery from Tommy John surgery, retired the Cubs in order for the first time in the fifth inning. Humberto Quintero doubled in the Houston fifth, Jason Lane pinch-hit for Backe and singled, then lined a two-run triple to cut Chicago's lead to 4-3.

Lee led off the sixth with a single and Loretta hit a tying double.