Berkman’s 3-run HR helps Astros beat Nationals after losing completion of suspended game

Astros beat Nats 9-4 after dropping suspended game

HOUSTON — Lance Berkman’s three-run homer was one of 16 hits used by the Houston Astros in a 9-4 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.

The win came a few hours after the Astros lost the completion of a suspended game from May, 11-10 in 11 innings — a result that gave former Nationals reliever Joel Hanrahan the victory.

In the regularly scheduled game, All-Star Hunter Pence and Jeff Keppinger drove in two runs each for the Astros, who used a four-run sixth inning to overcome a two-run deficit and take the lead.

Keppinger’s triple scored Geoff Blum and Ivan Rodriguez, tying it at 4 and chasing Nationals starter John Lannan (6-6).

He was replaced by Jason Bergmann, who struck out Jason Michaels. Michael Bourn gave Houston the lead with his run-scoring triple that bounced off the wall in left field, and Miguel Tejada added an RBI single.

Berkman’s 18th home run was a two-out shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field in the eighth inning.

The Nationals, perhaps propelled by their earlier win, took a 4-2 at the end of three after Josh Bard drove in two runs and Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn each had an RBI.

Astros starter Russ Ortiz gave up six hits and four runs with two walks in three innings. Alberto Arias (2-0) pitched a scoreless fifth and sixth for the win.

In the first game, an error by Tejada in the 11th inning gave the Nationals — and their former pitcher — the win.

Hanrahan was traded by the Nationals on June 30 to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a deal for Nyjer Morgan, who scored the winning run Thursday. Hanrahan was pitching for the Nationals when the game was suspended by rain in Washington on May 5. He earned his first win of the season and is 1-3 overall. He would have been 1-1 if he won on May 5.

“It’s pretty funny,” Hanrahan told The Associated Press by phone from Philadelphia, where the Pirates face the Phillies on Friday. “It feels pretty good in the situation that we’re in. Houston is a team in our division and we gained ground.”

The game resumed with one out in the bottom of the 11th with a Washington runner on first base.

Willingham singled before Bard grounded into a force out to second. It looked as though Tejada, covering second base, would easily get Bard out at first for the double play, but he instead threw it far over Berkman’s head, allowing Morgan to score for the win.

It took just 7 minutes for the last-place Nationals to grab the victory.

Houston reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who took the loss, would have been 0-1 if he lost on May 5. He’s now 1-3.

NOTES: This was the only suspended game in Nationals history, and the first one for the Astros since July of 2004. … It was also the only suspended game of the season, and the first since Game 5 of the 2008 World Series on Oct. 27 in Philadelphia. … Lannan allowed 11 hits with five runs in five-plus innings.