Record: 6-9.

Today: L.A. Dodgers at Minute Maid Park, 7:05 p.m.

Pitchers: Wandy Rodriguez (1-1) vs. Chad Billingsley (3-0).

TV/radio: FSH; 740 AM, 1010 AM (Spanish).

Overcoming the impressive home run display the Dodgers mounted against ace Roy Oswalt, Ivan Rodriguez and the Astros wouldn't be denied Wednesday night.

With injured closer Jose Valverde unavailable and Doug Brocail on the disabled list, Chris Sampson earned the come-from-behind 6-5 victory while throwing two innings of relief with a partial labrum tear in his hip.

On a night the Astros truly picked each other up, regular setup man LaTroy Hawkins struck out Orlando Hudson to collect the save and leave Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez on deck.

"I think this is a very nice win for us," said Rodriguez, who drove in the winning run with a single up the middle in the eighth. "I think (it's one of) those kinds of games that a team should feel good that you come from behind to beat a good team like the Dodgers. They're first in their division, and it's good. It's nice. Sampson pitched great to keep us in the game, and then Hawkins came and closed the game."

The Astros moved will try to complete a three-game sweep tonight with Wandy Rodriguez on the mound against the Dodgers, who arrived in town on an eight-game winning streak.

Oswalt, who didn't fare in the decision, gave up eight hits and four runs with one walk and six strikeouts over six innings.

"Team win," said Oswalt, who gave up three homers during the Dodgers' four-run rally in the sixth. "Everyone put something in today. We did well."

Randy Wolf, facing the Astros for the first time since they pulled a multiyear offer off the table during Thanksgiving weekend, held his former teammates to eight hits and four runs with one walk over seven innings.

No decision for Wolf

Wolf was in line for the victory before Lance Berkman led off the eighth with a home run off Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario, tying the score at 5.

One out later, Hunter Pence hit a ground-rule double to right. Pence then reached third on a wild pitch. After Belisario intentionally walked Geoff Blum, Rodriguez delivered the game-winning single up the middle.

"Well, it's a team game," manager Cecil Cooper said. "That's what we talked about at the beginning of the year. It wasn't going to be one guy. It was going to be everybody. We all had to chip in and help carry the load."

The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the third on Pence's two-run homer to left-center, but Ramirez led off the sixth with a home run off the railroad track above the fa?ade behind the Crawford Boxes. Andre Ethier followed with a home run into the Crawford Boxes, tying the score at 2.

One out later, Oswalt walked Russell Martin. Oswalt struck out Matt Kemp, but Casey Blake drilled Oswalt's next pitch for a two-run homer down the left-field line into the railroad tracks.

An Astros pitcher hadn't allowed three home runs in an inning since Jason Hirsh allowed three on Aug. 12, 2006, in the fourth inning against the Padres.

Michaels delivers

The Astros tied the score at 4 on Jason Michaels' two-run double to center in the bottom of the sixth.

Sampson threw a perfect seventh, but the Dodgers jumped on him right away in the eighth. Ethier led off with a single through the right side, and James Loney followed with an opposite-field double to left to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

Berkman tied the score at 5 with a shot into the Crawford Boxes, moving past Craig Biggio for second place on the Astros' all-time home run list with 292.

jesus.ortiz@chron.com