(My Sportsbook) - After being swept by the Atlanta Braves in the first series of their recent 10-game homestand, the Houston Astros were forced to take a deep breath and re-focus. Facing a five-game home skid, Houston had to find something to break the slump.

Last Friday, the Astros looked like they were headed for yet another home defeat, trailing 3-0 after 4 1/2 listless innings to the Florida Marlins. That is when Orlando Merced led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and Brad Ausmus followed suit with a single of his own. Before you knew it, the Astros had plated three runs on nothing more than singles.

It wasn't the most powerful inning in history, but it got the Astros back into the game and tied it at 3-3. Thanks to great bullpen work, Houston needed only one more run to grab the victory that night and small ball was the answer in the sixth. With two outs, Ausmus reached on an error and headed to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Ausmus went plate ward on a Jose Vizcaino single.

The victory was the Astros' first in four games and only second in nine tilts overall. Houston would ride the momentum of the win and solid pitching to a sweep of the visiting Marlins to pull within two games of .500 (14-16).

Riding high with the Pittsburgh Pirates coming to town for a four-game set, Houston looked to move up in the standings. On the heels of a stellar pitching series against Florida, the Astros would need their bats to awaken and that is exactly what happened.

Houston registered 37 runs en route to a four-game whitewash of the Pirates, which helped it finish up the homestand 7-3 and move within a game of first place Chicago in the NL Central. The Astros finished up the series with a 6-2 victory on Thursday.

Geoff Blum's offensive effort was the highlight for Houston, as he went 3- for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and walk. Blum has five hits in his last five at-bats, improving his average 33 points to .304. The third baseman has hit safely in seven consecutive games, going 12-for-27 (.444) during the stretch.

"Blum has been swinging the bat extremely well lately," Astros manager Jimy Williams said. "He has been playing very good on both sides of the line. He got one of those two-out hits with men in scoring position today and those were big for us."

Vizcaino was the only other Houston player with multiple hits, as he went 2- for-3 in the contest. Nonetheless, seven different Astros mustered hits in the winning effort.

As for the pitching, it was hodgepodge of six different twirlers that combined to get the job done. Starter Tim Redding gave up five hits and two runs over five innings and five relievers followed. First out of the 'pen was Ricky Stone, who ended up getting the victory. Stone (3-0) gave up just a hit over one inning of work. Nate Bland, Peter Munro, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner finished up with three innings of no-hit ball.

"This was a tough one," Williams said. "Our players have really done a nice job collectively."

Overall, Houston has won seven straight at Minute Maid Park to improve its home mark to 12-7 for the season. Conversely, the Astros are just 6-9 on the road this year.

WHO'S HOT

Jeff Kent was very good in the Pittsburgh series, registering seven hits in 16 at-bats. Kent tallied a homer and five RBI, while scoring four runs and walking twice. He raised his average 16 points to .325 thanks to the hot streak.

Stone has been rock solid out of the bullpen as of late, twirling six straight scoreless innings. The 28-year-old hasn't given up a single run in 14 of his 15 appearances in 2003.

WHO'S NOT

On the heels of a two-game hot streak where he went 4-for-6, Richard Hidalgo has gone without a hit in seven at-bats. For the year, Hidalgo is hitting .298 with five homers and 16 RBI.

COMING UP

Houston hits the road for the first time in May this weekend when it takes on the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Astros are on the road for their next seven contests, including a trip to Pittsburgh.