Major League Baseball

Astros 8, Nationals 7

Published Mar. 16, 2011 10:36 p.m. ET

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Houston manager Brad Mills is impressed with his team's ability to rally.

Anderson Hernandez capped a five-run ninth inning with a game-ending RBI single, giving the Houston Astros an 8-7 victory over the Washington Nationals Wednesday.

''I don't put a lot of importance in winning games but in how we play them. ... The quality at-bats we had today enabled us to come back the way we did,'' Mills said. ''Anytime you're able to do that it feels good, and it's happened to us three or four times this spring.''

Hernandez's hit off Tyler Clippard followed extra-base hits by Drew Locke, Brandon Barnes and Brian Bogusevic after Clippard started the big inning with two walks. The Astros had only five hits when they came up in the ninth, down 7-3.

''He threw so many balls, I just waited for a fastball because I knew he was going to throw a strike,'' Hernandez said of Clippard, who appeared in 78 games for the Nationals last season.

Nyjer Morgan's three-run homer helped the Nationals take a 6-3 lead against Houston starter Brett Myers, and Wilson Ramos added a home run for the Nationals in the eighth.

Myers gave up six runs in five innings.

''I'm not too concerned about it because I had a lot more first-pitch strikes than last time,'' said Myers, who threw 61 of his 83 pitches for strikes. ''It's not necessarily about pitch selection for me right now, it's about repeating and hitting spots.''

Washington played a second straight game without third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who are out with minor injuries.

''If it was a regular-season game, they'd be paying. We're really going to watch it close, try not to let it fester,'' said Washington manager Jim Riggleman.

The Astros scored three runs off Washington starter Ross Detwiler, who pitched three innings.

NOTES: Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, scratched from his Tuesday start due to mild shoulder tendinitis, will throw a side session Friday and then be evaluated . . . Mills said he will soon name his opening day starter, which will almost certainly be Myers. Roy Oswalt has started the Astros' last eight season openers.

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