Pittsburgh, PA (Best E Casino) - Miguel Tejada was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, as the Houston Astros used another quality Roy Oswalt start to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Oswalt (16-10) scattered seven hits and allowed a run without walking a batter and striking out four in six innings for Houston, which is just 2-6 following a six-game winning streak.

Michael Bourn had three hits and two steals, while Brad Ausmus contributed a two-run single for the Astros, who sit four games behind the NL wild card- leading Mets with just seven games remaining.

Ross Ohlendorf (0-3), in his fourth start with Pittsburgh since coming over from the Yankees, yielded four runs on 10 hits and two walks in five innings for the Pirates, who have lost three of four. Ryan Doumit had three hits with a run scored.

"[Oswalt's] tough," Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth said. "He was even tougher the last time we faced him in Houston [when Oswalt pitched a shutout]. He was certainly tough today. That's a guy when you get behind, it's tough to dig yourself out of a hole against him."

Houston broke a scoreless tie in the third, as Mark Loretta and Tejada recorded back-to-back singles before Lance Berkman doubled off the wall in center to plate a run. Geoff Blum's sac fly to right made it a 2-0 game.

The Astros tacked on two more in the fifth on Ausmus' two-out single with the bases loaded, scoring Tejada and Blum.

The 4-0 lead was more than enough for Oswalt, who had his franchise-record scoreless streak of 32 1/3 innings snapped in his last start against the Marlins.

"Actually I didn't feel great at all [today]," Oswalt said. "I told a few guys if I make it to the fifth I'll be lucky. [I] didn't have anything in the bullpen, didn't have anything in the first two innings. [I] finally felt a groove pretty decent in the third."

Pittsburgh managed its only run off Oswalt on Luis Cruz's fifth-inning RBI double.

Tejada's run-scoring single in the eighth scored Bourn, who led off with a single and stole second.

Hunter Pence came across in the ninth when Pirates reliever Romulo Sanchez uncorked a wild pitch, his second of the inning, and Brandon Moss singled in Pittsburgh's final tally in the home half.

Game Notes

Oswalt has won five of six decisions...The series between the clubs finished tied, 8-8...Houston hosts Cincinnati for three games starting Tuesday, and finishes with a three-game series at home against Atlanta. If necessary, the Astros will then host the Cubs in a game rescheduled due to effects of Hurricane Ike in the Houston area last week.