Phils Open Road Trip by Getting Whipped in Houston, 17-3

HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros are no strangers to good young arms.

Tim Redding pitched seven strong innings and Geoff Blum knocked in a career-high five runs as the Astros rolled to a 17-3 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies.

	Brandon Duckworth looks disgusted after giving up a two-run triple to Julio Lugo during the Phils' 17-3 loss. (AP)

Already with a solid foundation for the future of their staff in Roy Oswalt and Carlos Hernandez, the Astros have been banking on Redding to become a member of the rotation. But the 24-year-old righthander has been slow to develop.

Making his fifth start of the season, Redding (2-2) limited the Phillies to one run and five hits, walking two and striking out two, in the longest outing of his career. He has allowed six runs over 19 innings in his last three starts.

"I'm definitely pitching with more confidence now," Redding said. "It's different now than after I got sent down. Tonight, I went with more offspeed stuff and I threw my changeup more. I had faced them five days ago, so I wanted to mix my pitches up."

"He threw the ball very well. He threw his changeup more than in the past," Astros manager Jimy Williams added. "In the long run, that will make him a better pitcher. He pitched outstanding for us tonight and then he tacked on the two runs with his hit, and that's what broke open the game."

Blum, a reserve third baseman, got the start in place of rookie Morgan Ensberg and responded with the best night of his career. He had a three-run double in the fifth inning and doubled in two more runs in an eight-run eighth.

"You look forward to going up to the plate when everyone is hitting like that," said Blum, who was 3-for-4. "With that many hits, you always have guys on base and can't wait to get up in those RBI situations."

Richard Hidalgo and Lance Berkman each added three hits for the Astros, who banged out a season-high 20 and won for the second time in the last seven games. They were swept last week in a three-game series in Philadelphia.

Phillies starter Brandon Duckworth (2-3) was roughed up for five runs and six hits in four innings. On Wednesday, he did not factor in the decision against the Astros despite recording a career-high 12 strikeouts.

"A loss is a loss, but that was embarrassing," Phillies manager Larry Bowa said. "Our pitchers didn't get anybody out."

Things got so bad for the Phillies that reserve infielder Tomas Perez came on to pitch and got the final out in the bottom of the eighth.

Mike Lieberthal hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Philadelphia, which lost for just the second time in 10 games but fell to 3-13 on the road.

Pat Burrell lofted a sacrifice fly in the second to give the Phils the lead, but the Astros answered in their half of the inning on a two-run triple by Julio Lugo.

Redding, who had been 0-for-6 this season, helped himself with a two-run single in the fourth. Lieberthal dropped Craig Biggio's pop-up in front of the plate later in the inning to allow another run score and give Houston a 5-1 lead.

"The pitcher put the bat on the ball with a 2-1 count and got the hit up the middle," Duckworth said. "I felt good and I thought I had good movement and I thought I made good pitches in big situations, but it just didn't happen."

In the fifth, Daryle Ward stroked an RBI single and Blum cleared the bases with a double, pusing the lead to 9-1.

With the game out of reach, the Astros pounded the Philadelphia bullpen and scored eight more times in the eighth, highlighted by two-run doubles by Blum and Hidalgo.

After Duckworth departed, five relievers surrendered 12 runs and 14 hits in five innings. Hector Mercado was the main culprit, retiring just two batters while allowing eight runs and seven hits.

Biggio was the only Houston starter without a hit.

ComcastSportsNet.com wire services