NEW YORK -- Lastings Milledge made a diving catch to help thwart a potential rally, then hit a three-run homer that punctuated the New York Mets' 11-3 rout of the road-weary Houston Astros on Friday night.

The Astros are not only losing, they are losing big.

Carlos Beltran homered and drove in two runs, David Wright delivered another big hit and the NL East leaders backed Mike Pelfrey with a relentless offensive outburst as they returned home from a 5-5 road trip with a rousing victory.

Trying to win consecutive division titles for the first time, the Mets hope to build a big cushion on a nine-game homestand thatalso includes visits from Atlanta and Philadelphia -- their top two pursuers.

Coupled with the Phillies' loss to Florida, New York's win increased its NL East lead to six games -- essentially nullifying Philadelphia's four-game sweep of the Mets last week that trimmed the margin to two.

Jorge Sosa relieved Pelfrey with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, but escaped the jam unscathed. Milledge made an outstanding grab on Craig Biggio's blooper to shallow right field, holding all three runners. Sosa then struck out Lance Berkman on a 3-2 pitch to preserve a 5-2 lead.

Playing without injured slugger Carlos Delgado, the Mets promptly broke it open with a six-run rally in the bottom half against reliever Dave Borkowski.

Jose Reyes hit a leadoff triple to left-center and scored on Luis Castillo's single. Moises Alou had an RBI double and Paul Lo Duca added a sacrifice fly before Milledge stepped to the plate and received a warm ovation from the crowd of 51,113.

He drove the next pitch to left for his fifth homer, raising his index finger as he rounded first and making the score 11-2.

Berkman homered in the first for the Astros, who fell to 26-46 away from home -- the worst record in the National League. They have lost five of six, all on the road, and have been outscored 25-5 in their past two games.

Pelfrey (2-7) was coming off a key 5-1 victory in Atlanta last Saturday, his best major league outing and first win since July 18, 2006. Selected ninth overall in the 2005 amateur draft, the right-hander pitched out of trouble all night Friday. He allowed two runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings for his fourth career victory.

Beltran's long solo homer off Wandy Rodriguez (8-13) in the fifth made it 4-2 Mets. Alou then doubled and scored on a single by Jeff Conine, who filled in at first base for Delgado.

Houston led 2-0 when Rodriguez walked Pelfrey leading off the third. After a one-out walk to Castillo, Wright's RBI double brought chants of "MVP! MVP!" Castillo scored all the way from first when the relay throw from center fielder Hunter Pence kicked off Biggio for an error.

Beltran followed with a run-scoring single that put New York ahead for good.

Rodriguez dropped to 2-10 in 14 road starts. He beat Pelfrey with a four-hit shutout on July 6, the only complete game of his career.

Notes:@ Alou extended his hitting streak to 12 games. ...

It was Reyes' 12th triple this season and first since Aug. 5. ...

Pelfrey entered 0-2 with a 7.84 ERA in two starts against Houston. ... The Mets went down in order in the seventh, the first 1-2-3 inning of the game for either team. ...

The Astros stranded 12 baserunners.