Houston ? Julio Lugo is starting to believe in himself. Hitting .333 in May has helped.

Lugo hit a three-run homer and went 2-for-5 Wednesday to help the Houston Astros defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5.

A tender elbow slowed Lugo in the spring and he started the season on Houston’s bench. After rookie Adam Everett failed to hit well enough to keep the job, Lugo took over.

He is 29-for-87 in May, leading all major league shortstops during that time. He has recorded seven multi-hit games in his last nine, including a pair of home runs in that span.

“Something has just clicked,” Lugo said. “I’m being more patient and taking more pitches. I think I’m just trying to be myself now. Before, I was too worried about what people thought. Now I just am trying to play the way I know I can.”

Lugo’s homer along with Daryle Ward’s three RBIs helped the Astros prevent their second sweep by the Cardinals in nine days.

“Lugo’s doing a great job,” Ward said. “He’s hitting the ball so well and giving us a chance to win. If we can just get the rest of the hitting going, we’ll be OK.”

The Astros snapped the Cardinals’ four-game win streak. St. Louis has won 16 of its last 20.

“I feel good that we are playing over .500 now,” manager Tony La Russa said. “We have to play a lot of other teams besides these guys. So we are going to have to beat everybody.”

The Cardinals are concerned about starter Garrett Stephenson, who lasted only 21/3 innings and gave up six runs on six hits and three walks. It was his shortest outing of the season.

Astros’ starter Wade Miller didn’t last much longer. Making his first start since April 12, the right-hander had to leave after four innings because of stiffness in his upper back, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks.

The Astros said this injury was not related to the pinched nerve that sidelined him since April 12 and he is expected to make his next start.

Pirates 5, Cubs 0

Pittsburgh Kip Wells pitched a four-hitter for Pittsburgh’s first complete game this season, and the Pirates beat Jon Lieber and Chicago. Wells (8-2) won his fourth in a row to become the fifth NL pitcher to win eight games.

It was the Pirates’ first complete game since Bronson Arroyo beat the Mets on Oct. 2.

Lieber (3-4), traded by the Pirates to the Cubs following the 1998 season, had been 7-0 in 10 starts against them including a two-hitter and a three-hitter.

Lieber, a 20-game winner last season, extended his winless streak to six by giving up 12 hits and five runs, three earned, in six innings.

Expos 4, Braves 3

Atlanta Jose Vidro hit a three-run double off John Smoltz with two outs in the top of the ninth, rallying Montreal past Atlanta. Smoltz (0-2) blew his third save in 17 chances, pushing his ERA to 5.93. T.J. Tucker (4-0) earned the win by getting two outs in the eighth.

Julio Franco hit a two-out RBI single to make it 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, but Scott Stewart worked out of a bases-loaded jam to earn his third save.

Kevin Millwood pitched seven strong innings for the Braves. He surrendered only four hits and a run, while Expos starter Tomo Ohka also went seven innings, allowing five hits and two runs.

Mets 4, Phillies 3

New York Mike Piazza hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh and New York rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat Philadelphia. The Phillies took a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, but starter Randy Wolf couldn’t hold it and Philadelphia lost for the 22nd time in 27 road games this season.

Piazza hit an RBI groundout in New York’s three-run fifth inning before giving the Mets their first lead of the game with one out in the seventh.

Piazza drove a 2-2 pitch from Jose Santiago (1-3) over the 410-foot mark in center field for his 10th homer.

Reds 8, Marlins 2

Miami Aaron Boone, who homered twice Tuesday, hit a three-run home run in the first inning to spark a five-run first.

The Marlins lost for the 10th time in 14 games and dropped below .500 for the first time since May 1. Joey Hamilton (3-2) worked six scoreless innings in his second start since returning from the disabled list. Marlins starter Josh Beckett (2-3) had the shortest outing of his career, working one-plus inning and allowing seven runs on eight hits.

Dodgers 4, Brewers 3

Los Angeles Alex Cora broke open a tie game with his first home run in 97 games, and Brian Jordan also homered as the Los Angeles completed a three-game sweep.

Odalis Perez (5-3) won for the first time in four starts despite allowing a season-high 10 hits in seven innings. Jamey Wright (1-2) allowed four runs, four hits and five walks in 61/3 innings. Eric Gagne got three outs for his NL-leading 18th save despite allowing Jose Hernandez’s 10th homer on his first pitch.

D’backs 7, Giants 3

San Francisco Curt Schilling became the first 10-game winner in the majors, retiring the first 15 batters in Arizona’s victory. Schilling (10-1) allowed three hits and struck out nine in eight innings. Russ Ortiz (4-4) allowed four runs on seven hits through 51/3 innings.

Padres 11, Rockies 3

San Diego Rookie reliever Jason Middlebrook pitched seven shutout innings and San Diego beat Colorado.

The victory was tempered by injuries to third baseman Phil Nevin and starting pitcher Brian Tollberg. Nevin left the game in the seventh after landing hard on his left arm as he made a diving stop on Todd Zeile’s one-hop grounder. The Padres third baseman bruised his rotator cuff. Tollberg was removed in the third inning with a sprained right elbow.