Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Pat Burrell hit a go-ahead pinch-hit solo home run in the eighth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies edged the Houston Astros, 7-5, in the opener of a four-game set.

Ryan Howard continued to heat up from his season-long slump, going 3-for-5 with a solo homer, two runs batted in and three runs scored for the Phillies, who won their third straight. Chad Durbin (1-1) got the win for a scoreless inning of relief after Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick gave up eight hits and five runs in five-plus frames.

Roy Oswalt was rocked for 11 hits and five runs in six frames, but Wesley Wright (3-2) gave up Burrell's homer to take the loss. Lance Berkman continued to dominate at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a run batted in, but popped out with a runner on and two outs in the ninth against former Astro Brad Lidge, who worked around a Miguel Tejada single for his 12th save in as many opportunities this season.

The Astros had won three of four entering the series.

Burrell was given the night off after an 0-for-11 series in Washington, but he came through in his only at-bat on Thursday. Pinch-hitting for Greg Dobbs to start the eighth against Wright, Burrell belted a fly ball to left that just cleared the yellow line, breaking up a 5-5 tie.

Chase Utley added an insurance run later in the frame with an RBI single to right with two outs, giving the Phils a two-run lead.

"I'm just a little ticked about the two runs we gave up in the eighth," said Astros manager Cecil Cooper. "One was a mistake, and then we couldn't get out of the inning...We had the chances, we were right there."

Tejada's two-out single made things interesting in the ninth for Lidge, who was appearing in Houston for the first time since being dealt to the Phillies in the offseason. He managed to do what not many other pitchers have been able to do lately, though, he got Berkman out, as the Astros first baseman popped up to shallow left to end the game.

Berkman kept his hot streak rolling with an RBI double off the wall in left in the first, giving the Astros the early lead.

The Phils loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but managed only a run, on Carlos Ruiz's one-out single to right. Kendrick grounded into a fielder's choice, and Jimmy Rollins grounded out to end the threat with the game tied at 1-1.

A Brad Ausmus sacrifice fly to right in the home half of the frame put the Astros right back on top, 2-1.

The Phillies touched Oswalt for three in the third to move in front. With runners at first and second and no outs, Howard lined an RBI double to left, and Pedro Feliz followed with a single to center, plating another run. Geoff Jenkins lifted a fly ball to center, and Howard was able to tag and score for a 4-2 Philadelphia lead.

Howard then blasted a moon shot to left to lead off the fifth, boosting the Phillies lead to three runs.

"He struggled with his command tonight," said Cooper of Oswalt. "He wasn't throwing the breaking ball, he simply didn't have control of it."

Kendrick ran into trouble in the sixth, however. He beaned Carlos Lee with an 0-2 pitch, and Hunter Pence followed with a single to left. Ty Wigginton doubled down the line in left, and both runners came around to make it a one- run game.

Kendrick's day was done, and the Astros were able to move Wigginton over to third with an Ausmus bunt, and Geoff Blum laced a pinch-hit RBI single to left to tie game at 5-5.