Biggio, Berkman Double Up Twice

Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman of the Houston Astros needled each other after a record-setting night.

Biggio and Berkman set a team mark by hitting consecutive home runs twice in one game, and Andy Pettitte won his fifth consecutive decision to lead the host Astros past the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-1, Monday.

“I don’t hit that many homers,” Biggio said. “But Lance gets paid a lot of money to hit them so it’s pretty cool for me to hit them at the same time.”

Berkman just chuckled at all that.

“The toughest ones to hit in back-to-backs are definitely the second ones,” he said. “Putting the icing on the cake is tough.”

The double back-to-back homers by the same players were the first in Houston history. It was the first time it happened in the major leagues since May 18, 2004, when Matt Holliday and Jeromy Burnitz did it for Colorado at Cincinnati.

It also was the 15th multihomer game of Biggio’s career, and Berkman’s 14th. But they were more impressed by the performance of Pettitte (8-7), who is 5-0 in seven starts since a 6-1 loss June 14 at Baltimore. He is two victories short of his longest career winning streak, with the New York Yankees in 2000.

The left-hander gave up seven hits in seven innings, including a homer by Jimmy Rollins, struck out seven and walked three. Pettitte lowered his earned-run average to 2.73, his lowest career mark through 20 starts.

“He was great tonight,” Berkman said of Pettitte, who had elbow surgery Aug. 13. “I think it might have been his best start. I think it’s just remarkable what he has been able to do with a 75% elbow.”

Chicago 3, San Francisco 2 -- Jeromy Burnitz hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap the Cub rally.

Shut down by Jason Schmidt for seven innings, the Cubs tied the score in the eighth inning on Neifi Perez’s bases-loaded single.

Schmidt, who had won his previous four starts against the Cubs, gave up six hits and a run before the Giant bullpen let him down.

Milwaukee 4, Arizona 2 -- J.J. Hardy hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the seventh inning that backed Ben Sheets (6-7) at Milwaukee.

Hardy, in an 0-for-11 slide, homered against Tim Worrell (0-2), who was making his second appearance since Arizona acquired him from Philadelphia on Thursday.

It was only the third homer in 216 at-bats this year for Hardy, but his second in six days.

Colorado 5, New York 3 -- Jose Acevedo (2-0), who started for Cincinnati last year and was traded to Colorado in the spring, gave up three runs in six innings in a spot start to help the Rockies open a homestand with a victory.

Jose Reyes hit his major league-leading 11th triple for the Mets.