Astros 3, Cubs 0: Bud Norris pitched six scoreless innings and visiting Houston blanked Chicago for the second straight night.

Jason Castro homered and Tyler Greene had two hits and an RBI as the Astros won for the fifth time in six games to avoid a franchise-record 107th defeat.

Norris (7-13), who snapped a personal 12-game losing streak in his last outing, allowed four hits to improve to 1-3 lifetime against the Cubs. Wilton Lopez finished up in the ninth for his 10th save.

Chris Volstad (3-12) was a tough-luck loser for Chicago, tying his season high with six strikeouts and giving up two runs on five hits in seven innings.

All-Star shortstop Starlin Castro, who has played in all 161 games this season for the Cubs, had two hits for an offense that has produced six hits in the first two games of the series.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston saw two players exit the game with injuries as 2B Jose Altuve left in the fifth inning with discomfort in his groin and RF Scott Moore departed with irritation in his AC joint after landing on his shoulder while diving for a ball in the second. ... Cubs president Theo Epstein gave a vote of confidence to first-year manager Dale Sveum, saying: "Dale’s done a fantastic job. The hundred losses are not his fault in the least bit." ... Norris became the third straight Houston starter to not allow a run and ended his year with 13 1/3 scoreless innings.