"A record-setting performance for Brett Myers was just the latest chapter in a run of pitching from the Astros that's to be remembered in the record annals as well

Myers set a franchise mark with his 27th consecutive start of six or more innings, Carlos Lee homered and drove in three runs, and the Astros evened their series with the Mets at a game apiece with a 4-1 victory at Citi Field.

While Lee got the Astros their first run and later built them a comfortable lead, he deflected praise to the rightfully praiseworthy pitching staff, which had just tied a team record of giving up two runs or fewer in seven straight games.

"We haven't scored a lot of runs," Lee said. "We're winning because of pitching."

In fact, the Astros haven't scored more than five runs in any of their games on this road trip through Florida, Philadelphia and New York, yet they enter Sunday's final game with a 6-3 record on the trip.

Even through a 16-inning game on Tuesday, the streak of two runs or fewer reached a historic length, equalled only in 1971 and 2005. It is also the longest such streak in Major League Baseball this year.

Myers gave much of the credit for the recent success to pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. "