Houston, TX -- (Sports Network) - Mark Loretta's two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth sent Houston past Colorado, 9-8, handing the Rockies their eighth straight loss.

Facing Brian Fuentes (0-4) in the ninth, the Astros saw their first two men retired when Hunter Pence fanned and Lance Berkman grounded out. Carlos Lee followed by drawing a walk, then Loretta nailed a 1-1 pitch into the seats in left field to give the Astros their second consecutive win in their last at- bat against Fuentes, who has now blown 4 straight save opportunities. All during the Rockies current eight game road trip.

Dave Borkowski (2-3), held the Rockies off the scoreboard in the top of the frame and earned the win. Chris Sampson did not fare well in the start, yielding eight hits and seven runs over 5 2/3 frames, with four walks, four strikeouts and three home runs.

Berkman finished 2-for-5, homered, drove in three and scored twice for the Astros, who have won two in a row in dramatic fashion following Thursday's game-winning grand slam by Lee in the 11th inning. Loretta was 2-for-3 and scored three runs, Eric Munson drove in a pair, and both Lee and Mike Lamb added RBI.

Colorado starter Josh Fogg allowed seven hits and seven runs over 4 2/3 innings, and three relievers combined to allow just one hit until it all unraveled for Fuentes with one out to go.

Garrett Atkins hit his 10th and 11th homers of the season and drove in three for the Rockies, who have lost a season-high eight in a row. Willy Taveras had a two-run single, Todd Helton had two hits including a home run, his first since June 2nd, Matt Holliday had a run-scoring single and Ryan Spilborghs added a pinch-hit RBI in defeat.

In the second, Helton led off with a single and scored when Atkins followed with a home run to left for a 2-0 Rockies lead.

The Astros responded with a pair in the bottom of the frame on Munson's two- run double, and went ahead on Berkman's solo homer in the third.

Atkins' second homer of the game, a lead-off blast, brought Colorado even at 3-3 in the fourth. Two more runs came home in the inning on a Taveras single which boosted the Rockies into a 5-3 lead.

Helton made it 6-3 in the fifth on a lead-off homer, but the Astros stormed back with four in the home half to take a 7-6 lead.

Craig Biggio, who reached and surpassed the 3,000 hit plateau on Thursday, was hit by a pitch with one out, followed by Pence's single. Berkman lined a triple off the wall in right which scored both players and cut Houston's deficit to 6-5. Lee plated Berkman with a sac fly to tie the score, and after Loretta singled, Lamb doubled to plate the go-ahead run.

Colorado was not done, however, and retied the game, 7-7, on Holliday's two- out RBI single in the sixth. Spilborghs' pinch-hit single with one out in the seventh brought home Brad Hawpe to put the visitors on top once more.

Game Notes

Houston leads the season series 3-2...Berkman has five homers in his last seven games...Lee leads the majors with 12 sacrifice flies...Houston has won five in a row at home...Biggio's fifth-inning plunking was the 284th time he was hit by a pitch...Colorado last dropped eight in a row from July 7-17, 2006...It was the fourth walk-off defeat for Colorado on their current 10-game road trip, and have suffered seven walk-off losses this season, more than in 2005 and 2006 combined...The Rockies lead the majors with 18 blown saves this season, and Fuentes has blown six of those chances...Colorado outhit Houston, 13-9, and left 11 men on base.