Quintero, Blum homer in seven-run fifth, powering Astros over bumbling Nats 8-2

Big fifth lifts Astros, Norris past Nats 8-2

WASHINGTON — Humberto Quintero and Geoff Blum each homered in a seven-run fifth inning, Bud Norris won for the seventh time in eight decisions and the Houston Astros beat the mistake-prone Washington Nationals 8-2 Monday night.

Norris (9-8) allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings. The right-hander walked four and struck out six. The Astros are 10-1 in Norris’ previous 11 starts. He is 7-1 with a 3.52 ERA over that span.

Houston has won six of eight. Washington lost its fourth straight.

The Nationals committed three errors leading to four unearned runs in the fifth, when the Astros erased Washington’s 2-1 lead with their highest-scoring inning of the season.

Quintero’s two-run homer and Blum’s three-run drive both came off Livan Hernandez (10-12).

The game drew 10,999, the smallest crowd in Washington, D.C., since the Montreal Expos relocated before the 2005 season.

Adam Dunn’s two-run double put Washington ahead in the first. Adam Kennedy drew a one-out walk and Ryan Zimmerman singled before Dunn pulled a double into the right-field corner.

A safety squeeze by Norris cut the lead in half in the third. Brian Bogusevic led off with a double for Houston’s first hit, took third on Quintero’s single to right and raced home when Norris dropped a bunt down the first-base line.

Houston rallied in the fifth.

Chris Johnson led off with a double, moved to third on what was scored an infield hit by Bogusevic and scored when first baseman Dunn’s shovel toss wasn’t cleanly handled by Hernandez. Quintero followed with a two-run homer, his fourth, and Norris’ fly ball to left was misplayed by Willie Harris for a two-base error.

Following Jason Bourgeois’ strikeout, Jeff Keppinger singled, but center fielder Roger Bernadina muffed the pickup, allowing Norris to score.

After Hunter Pence flied out, Blum lofted a three-run homer down the right-field line.

Hernandez worked five innings, yielding eight runs — four earned — on eight hits. He walked none and struck out five.

NOTES: Hernandez has thrown a team-high 199 innings this season. He has nine 200-inning seasons in his 15-year career. … Houston’s Michael Bourn sat out with a strained right ribcage muscle sustained Sunday. … LHP Ross Detwiler, who has worked out of the bullpen since returning from a stint on the disabled list following right hip surgery, will make his first start of the season Thursday in the series finale against the Astros. … Astros LHP Tim Byrdak struck out the only batter he faced — Dunn with the bases loaded — to end the seventh. Byrdak has not pitched more than 1-3 of an inning in his last six appearances and 11 of his past 12. He has been scored on once in 42 outings dating to June 12.