Lidge, Astros Let One Get Away to Cubs

Brad Lidge couldn’t protect the lead for the Houston Astros, and now their lead over the Philadelphia Phillies is down to one game.

After Lance Berkman hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, Lidge blew his first save in more than three months, yielding two runs and four hits in a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.

Philadelphia (86-74) won at Washington and is right behind the Astros (87-73) in the wild-card race with two games left. If the teams finish tied, they’ll meet in a one-game playoff Monday at Philadelphia.

The Cubs, who won the series opener Thursday night, started the ninth with three hits off Lidge (4-4), who had converted 24 consecutive save chances since June 11. After Matt Murton and Jeromy Burnitz singled, Michael Barrett doubled off the top of the left-field wall to tie the score at 3-3.

Corey Patterson hit a hard chopper to first, and Berkman threw Burnitz out at home. But pinch-hitter Todd Walker hit a grounder past Berkman for a single and Barrett scored the go-ahead run.

Ryan Dempster worked the ninth for the Cubs and walked Brad Ausmus. Charles Gipson sacrificed pinch-runner Chris Burke to second, and Craig Biggio’s grounder moved Burke to third.

Dempster retired pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro on a fly to right for his 33rd save in 35 chances. He has saved 19 straight chances.

Berkman’s 24th homer -- and 11th in September -- came with one out but wasn’t enough to keep the Astros from wasting another impressive start by Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte, who sat out the Astros’ postseason run last season because of a torn tendon in left elbow, gave up a run over seven innings.

It was the second start in a row, both against the Cubs, in which Pettitte yielded only one run without a decision -- both one-run losses by the Astros. He had won seven consecutive starts before then.

After Pettitte was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh with the score tied, the Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the eighth off Chad Qualls. Neifi Perez had a two-out single, and shortstop Adam Everett bobbled Derrek Lee’s grounder for an error.

Nomar Garciaparra doubled to put the Cubs ahead. Lee was thrown out trying to score after center fielder Willy Taveras, who had bobbled the ball, threw to Everett for the relay to Ausmus.

Taveras led off the Astro eighth with a single off Roberto Novoa (4-5). After Morgan Ensberg fouled out, Berkman hit an opposite-field shot into the left-field stands. His 11 September home runs tied the club record set by Richard Hidalgo in 2000.