by By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ, HOUSTON CHRONICLE , The Houston Chronicle

Record: 34-37.

Today: Vs. Detroit, 6:05 p.m.

Pitchers: Felipe Paulino (1-4) vs. Alfredo Figaro (1-0).

TV/radio: FSH; 740 AM, 1010 AM (Spanish).

With the Astros down by four runs after two innings Friday night, starter Wandy Rodriguez kept thinking there wouldn't be much more room for error with Justin Verlander on the mound for the Detroit Tigers at Minute Maid Park.

Forced to dig out of an early deficit against one of Baseball's hottest teams, the Astros worked on keeping their fans interested before rewarding them late with a 5-4 victory.

Rodriguez settled down after a miserable start, and Miguel Tejada capped the Astros' game-winning, two-run rally in the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly to snap the Tigers' seven-game winning streak.

"The pitching coach (Dewey Robinson) just kept telling me, ?Keep it here. Keep it here,'?" Rodriguez said. "I knew that with Verlander pitching I couldn't give up more runs. I just did what (Robinson) told me and tried to keep them at four runs."

Rodriguez gave up four runs on seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts over six innings. Alberto Arias, Tim Byrdak, Chris Sampson (4-0) and LaTroy Hawkins then combined for three scoreless innings.

Sampson threw one-third of an inning before Hawkins took care of the ninth for the save on a night Jose Valverde was unavailable because he was resting his arm.

Verlander was in line for the victory after giving up three runs on four walks with six strikeouts over 51/3 innings, but he had to settle for a no-decision. Joel Zumaya (3-2) gave up two runs over two-thirds of an inning.

Even on homestand

By winning the opener of the three-game series against the American League Central leaders, the Astros are 2-2 on their six-game homestand.

"It's big," Tejada said of the victory. "You just got to keep pushing and never put the head down and always think that we can do it. We are a really good offensive team. We know we're facing one of the best teams in the American League. We believe in ourselves."

Miguel Cabrera gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with a home run to left in the first inning. Rodriguez walked the next two batters before inducing a fly out to right from Magglio Ordo?ez.

The Astros weren't as fortunate in the second inning. Former Astro Adam Everett hit a one-out double to left. One out later, Curtis Granderson drew a walk. Placido Polanco followed with a three-run homer to left-center, giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead.

The Astros cut the deficit in half in the third with an RBI double from Tejada and an RBI single from Hunter Pence.

Ivan Rodriguez led off the Astros' sixth with a double to right. After Kaz Matsui sacrificed, Matt Kata hit for Wandy Rodriguez and delivered an RBI single to make it 4-3.

"When we face a guy like Verlander, a good pitcher like this, we need to be a little bit relaxed and take some more pitches," Tejada said. "Look at what happened. He was out of the game in the sixth, seventh inning, and that's what we were looking for."

Lefthander Nate Robertson relieved Verlander, and Michael Bourn greeted him with a single through the right side to prompt another call to the bullpen.

Righthander Zach Miner got Jeff Keppinger to ground into a double play to end the threat.

Zumaya falters

With key Detroit relievers lefthander Bobby Seay and righthander Brandon Lyons unavailable, the Astros capitalized in the eighth inning against Zumaya. Matsui got the offense going with a one-out single to left. Pinch hitter Darin Erstad followed with a walk. Bourn drew another walk to load the bases for Keppinger.

Keppinger walked on a full count to force home the tying run. Tigers manager Jim Leyland then called on righthander Freddy Dolsi to relieve Zumaya, and Tejada greeted him with a sacrifice fly for a 5-4 lead.

jesus.ortiz@chron.com

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