By ROB MAADDI
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA(AP) -- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had hoped he
could rest some players and set up his postseason rotation in
the final week of the regular season.

Not anymore.

Yorman Bazardo pitched 5 2-3 effective innings against the team
that cut him in spring training, and helped the Houston Astros
beat Philadelphia 8-2 on Monday night, preventing the Phillies
from reducing their magic number.

The Phillies, who had an 8 1/2-game lead with 13 remaining, are
four ahead of Atlanta in the NL East with six left. The
defending World Series champions, who have lost five of seven,
still have a magic number of three for their third straight
division title.

"We've got to win games to make the playoffs," Manuel said.
"We're not playing good baseball and it's time to start."

If the Phillies somehow don't finish first, it will be worse
than their infamous collapse in 1964. That year, Philadelphia
held a 6 1/2-game lead with 12 to play only to blow the NL
pennant by dropping 10 straight.

"I've got a lot of faith in our guys," Manuel said. "I'm betting
on them."

Miguel Tejada had four hits and Jeff Keppinger had three hits
and two RBIs for Houston, which is 5-0 against the Phillies this
season.

Bazardo (1-2) allowed two runs and two hits to earn his third
career win and first since Sept. 25, 2007, with Detroit. The
25-year-old right-hander signed with the Phillies as a minor
league free agent last December and was released on March 29. He
entered with an 11.74 ERA in four starts this season.

"I've got to prove to the GM and manager that I deserve to be
here," Bazardo said. "I made good pitches in tough situations
against a tough lineup."

Cole Hamels (10-10) had another rough outing in a disappointing
season for last year's World Series and NLCS MVP. He gave up six
runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings.

Hamels retired the first two batters in the seventh, before the
Astros scored five runs to put the game out of reach.

Michael Bourn singled and was picked off first, but the
speedster beat first baseman Ryan Howard's throw to second base.
It's the third time Bourn has done that off Hamels this season.

"I might as well step off and let him take second because he's
going to steal every time," Hamels said. "I've got to keep him
off base."

Tejada followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2. After Lance
Berkman was intentionally walked, Tyler Walker relieved Hamels.
Carlos Lee greeted him with a two-run double. Two batters later,
Kazuo Matsui singled in the final two runs.

"To score that many runs off Hamels is not easy," Tejada said.
"He's one of the best lefties in the league."

Hamels cruised through the first three innings, allowing a
single to Berkman. He gave up one run in the fourth and two in
the sixth.

The Phillies manufactured a run with rare situational hitting in
the first. Jimmy Rollins led off with a single, stole second and
moved to third on a groundout. He scored on Chase Utley's
sacrifice fly.

Shane Victorino stole a run for the Phillies in the sixth. He
hit a one-out double and moved to third on a groundout.
Victorino took a big lead and bluffed running home, causing
Bazardo to step off the rubber and commit a balk.

NOTES: The Phillies activated LHP J.C. Romero from the DL. He
pitched a scoreless inning in his first appearance since July
19. ... Philadelphia's bullpen got more good news. Right-handers
Brett Myers (shoulder) and Chan Ho Park (groin) each threw on
the side Monday. Former closer Brad Lidge tossed a scoreless
ninth. ... Tejada extended his hitting streak to 15. He leads
the NL with six, four-hit games. ... Howard got his eighth steal
of the season. He had two career steals before this year. ...
Lee reached 100 RBIs for the fifth straight season.