(Sports Network) - Carlos Lee recorded the 2,000th hit of his career in the first inning and added a solo home run later in the game to help Houston take a 7-3 win over New York in the middle portion of a three-game set.
Lee came into the game needing just one hit to reach the plateau and his first inning single accomplished that.
Bill Hall added a solo home run and two RBI while Matt Downs also hit a solo home run for the Astros, who had dropped five of six. J.A. Happ (3-4) went six innings and gave up two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts to get the win.
Jose Reyes had an RBI and a run score, Daniel Murphy hit a solo home run and Justin Turner drove in the other run for the Mets, who had won three straight coming into the contest. R.A. Dickey (1-5) was tagged for six runs on 11 hits in just 5 1/3 innings for the loss.
Houston jumped on top with a four-run first inning. Michael Bourn led off with a triple and came home when Clint Barmes followed with a ground out. Back-to- back singles by Hunter Pence and Lee was followed by an RBI double from Brett Wallace. A single from Chris Johnson scored another run and Hall singled in another for a 4-0 lead.
The Mets got one back in the third as Reyes led off with a double and came home on a Turner single to make it a 4-1 game.
A leadoff homer from Murphy in the fourth made it a two-run game, but the Astros added to their lead in the sixth.
Hall led off the frame with a shot to right for his second homer of the season. Two batters later, Downs knocked a pinch-hit home run for a 6-2 advantage.
The seventh inning see Lee club a leadoff home run for hit No. 2,001 and a 7-2 lead.
An RBI single from Reyes in the ninth accounted for the final score.