HOUSTON - Tiring with each pitch and feeling a twinge in his achy right calf, Roger Clemens was in need of some help in the seventh inning.

The Rocket got a timely lift from his teammates for his 325th career win and the surging Houston Astros won their season-high seventh consecutive game, 8-6 over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.

"I almost felt like it was two different games out there," Clemens said. "I was out there looking for a third wind."

Jeff Bagwell, Carlos Beltran, Craig Biggio and Jose Vizcaino homered for Houston, which has won 10 of 11 and closed within 2½ games of the Chicago Cubs, the NL wild-card leader.

Clemens (15-4), who won his third straight start, moved past Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton for sole possession of 12th place on the career wins list.

He took a 7-0 lead into the seventh inning but tired and wound up allowing four runs and six hits in 6

innings. The Rocket even added an run-scoring single in the sixth for his seventh RBI of the season, chasing Pittsburgh starter Oliver Perez (9-8).

Jose Castillo hit a two-run single, and Bobby Hill and Jason Kendall hit run-scoring singles off the laboring Clemens. Russ Springer gave up a two-run triple to Jack Wilson that cut the Astros' lead to 7-6.

But Craig Wilson popped out to second for the final out of the inning, Dan Wheeler pitched a perfect eighth and Brad Lidge got three outs for his 19th save in 22 chances.