Houston, TX (Best E Casino) - Wandy Rodriguez threw seven strong innings as the Houston Astros closed out the regular season with a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves at Minute Maid Park.

Rodriguez (9-7) gave up just one unearned run on four hits with six strikeouts and added an RBI while Brad Ausmus hit a two-run home run for the Astros (86-75), who won four of their final five games of the season. The team finished in third place in the NL Central.

Corky Miller drove in the lone run while Mike Hampton (3-4) was saddled with the loss for giving up three runs on four hits in six innings of work for the Braves (72-90), who finished the season with their worst record since going 65-97 in 1990. The team finished fourth in the NL East.

Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, who drew a walk on a pinch-hit appearance in the game, finished the season with a .364 average to win the NL batting title.

In the third, Jose Castillo led off with a double and Ausmus followed with a shot over the left field fence to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.

Atlanta got a run back in the fifth on a groundout from Miller that scored Brent Lillibridge, who reached on an error.

However, Houston got the run right back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single from Rodriguez that scored Reggie Abercrombie to make it a 3-1 game.

LaTroy Hawkins pitched a scoreless eighth and Jose Valverde worked the ninth to pick up his 44th save of the year.

Game Notes

Valverde tied a franchise record for saves in a season set by Billy Wagner in 2003...The Astros finished the season with just 67 errors, which is the fewest all-time for a National League time in a non-strike season. The 1999 New York Mets held the previous record with 68...Rodriguez is 2-1 in five games (four starts) against Atlanta...Each team won three games in the season series.