HOUSTON -- Randy Wolf pitched 6 2-3 strong innings, Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer and the Houston Astros beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-0 on Wednesday night to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Houston pulled within three and a half games of NL wild card-leading New York with five games to go. The Mets lost to the Chicago Cubs 9-6 in 10 innings.

Wolf (12-12) allowed eight hits, struck out seven and walked two, improving to 6-2 in 12 starts since being acquired from the Padres on July 22.

Cincinnati put runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings but Wolf managed to work his way out of trouble every time.

Geoff Geary, LaTroy Hawkins and Doug Brocail pitched the final 2 1-3 innings and allowed only two hits. Hawkins has not yielded an earned run in 22 games spanning 19 innings since coming to the Astros from the Yankees on July 30.

Cincinnati's Ramon Ramirez (1-1) went five innings and allowed two runs and four hits in his fourth major league start.

Berkman drove in Kaz Matsui with a two-out drive to left in the first inning. It was his 29th homer of the season.

The Astros added three runs in the eighth. Hunter Pence walked with the bases loaded and Humberto Quintero added a two-run single.

Notes:@ Matsui went 2-for-4 and is hitting .417 (10-for-24) since returning from the disabled list Sept. 16. Quintero's hit stopped an 0-for-22 streak. Cincinnati's Joey Votto went 2-for-3 and has two or more hits in six of his last seven games.