HOUSTON -- How well has Lance Berkman been hitting lately?

When he recorded an out in the fifth inning on Wednesday, he received a small ovation from fans who acknowledged eight outstanding at-bats prior to that meager pop out to first base.

Dating back to his last at-bat on May 4, Berkman recorded eight consecutive hits, tying a franchise record. He was 4-for-5 on Sunday and 5-for-5 on Tuesday before recording a base hit in his first plate appearance Wednesday and homering in the next.

"I wasn't thinking about [the record], I was just like, 'This thing's got to end and I hope it doesn't end when I'm in a big spot like with the bases loaded,'" he said. "I just go up there and try to get a hit every time, until you get out."

Berkman has hits in 11 of his last 13 at-bats and has reached base in 14 of his last 15 plate appearances, which included two intentional walks during the Astros' win over the Nationals on Wednesday.

Clearly, the mild hip flexor pain he felt after stealing two bases during the opener with the Nats on Tuesday is not holding him back.

"It feels OK," Berkman said. "I definitely felt like I got run over by a truck when I woke up [Wednesday] morning, but right now, I'm feeling all right."

Berkman has had a slight groin issue for the last couple of years, and he blamed his recent mishap on that recurring issue.

"Once you hurt something you're always susceptible to it being tweaked," he said. "After running hard last night, I had some hip flexor soreness -- nothing that can keep me out of the lineup, but it's something that needs to be monitored."

Pitching matchup
HOU: RHP Brandon Backe (2-3, 4.42 ERA)
Backe picked up his second win of the season Saturday night with a good outing against Milwaukee. In 5 2/3 innings, Backe gave up two runs on five hits. But he struggled with his control, walking five. He also hit his third career home run.

WSH: LHP John Lannan (2-3, 3.74 ERA)
One thing that Lannan proved last Friday night: He is human. After three straight solid outings, Lannan was hit hard as the Nationals were pounded by the Pirates, 11-4. Lannan was out of the game after three innings. He gave up six runs, five of them earned, and all of them occurred in the third inning. The biggest blow came when Jose Bautista hit a three-run homer. Even in the first two innings, during which he didn't give up a run, it appeared that Lannan was in for a long night. The first hitter Lannan faced -- Nate McLouth -- was hit by a pitch. After two innings, Lannan had already reached 44 pitches.

Tidbits
Right-hander Felipe Paulino, who has been rehabbing a pinched nerve in his upper right arm, has returned to the Astros' Spring Training complex in Florida to begin a throwing program. ... The Astros traded Triple-A left-hander Stephen Randolph to the Phillies in exchange for a player to be named. Randolph, who appeared in 14 games for the Astros in 2007, was 0-1 with one save and a 1.23 ERA over 11 games for the Express this season.

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Up next
• Friday: Astros (Brian Moehler, 0-0, 7.04) at Dodgers (Derek Lowe, 2-2, 3.66), 9:40 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Astros (Chris Sampson, 1-3, 7.96) at Dodgers (Chad Billingsley, 2-4, 4.54), 9:10 p.m. CT
• Sunday: Astros (Shawn Chacon, 0-0, 3.60) at Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda, 1-2, 3.95), 3:10 p.m. CT