HOUSTON (AP) - The Rockies left Colorado for the season, but weren't able to leave their losing behind.

Rookie right-hander Alex White (2-3) was punished for a wild third inning that included hitting two batters, throwing a wild pitch and surrendering three runs, and the Rockies' offense came up short again in a 9-6 loss Thursday night to the Houston Astros.

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The loss extended the team's losing streak to a season-long eight games.

Kevin Kouzmanoff hit his first home run of the season and drove in two runs for the night, and Wilin Rosario's three-run blast in the top of the eighth kept the Rockies within striking distance.

The six runs by Colorado were the most by the team since Sept. 14, a 6-2 win at Milwaukee.

For Rockies manager Jim Tracy, the game came down to White not getting a quality start.

``Alex wasn't real sharp,' Tracy said. ``His command tonight was very erratic ... that helped to account for five runs in the early going, three of which came on the two-out, three-run double by Carlos Lee but in relation to what I was just talking about, setting that situation up. There were two hit batsmen in that inning, one of which, (Jose) Altuve, was hit with two strikes.'

The Rockies were hoping to snap out of a funk that had them losing their final seven home games of the season. They dropped four to San Francisco and three to San Diego, which outscored them 14-3 in the process.

Colorado became the first National League team to lose its last seven home games in a season since the New York Mets dropped 13 straight in 1979, the Rockies said in citing the Elias Sports Bureau.

Against the Astros, they twice surrendered early one-run leads and went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

``Once again we left runners stranded on base, runners at third with less than two outs,' Tracy said. ``We had runners at second and third with one out. We had a number of opportunities like they had.'

Astros rookie right-hander Henry Sosa ended a three-game losing streak with a solid 6 1-3 inning performance that included his first major league hit.

Sosa (3-5) allowed Colorado three runs on a season-high nine hits. He walked one and struck out four in his ninth career start.

Mark Melancon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 20th save of the season.

Lee's four-RBI night for the Astros was highlighted by the three-run double that gave Houston a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the third.

It was in that inning that White's lost his command.

He allowed Sosa a double to lead off the bottom of the inning and later hit back-to-back batters before surrendering Lee's three-run double.

The wildness and Lee got White again in the fifth after he had allowed back-to-back singles to Jordan Schafer and Altuve and got J.D. Martinez to line out.

With Lee batting, Schafer reached third on a wild pitch by White and came home on Lee's sacrifice fly to center field to make it 5-2 Astros.

``I felt good tonight (but) I put myself in some bad spots and paid for it,' said White. ``Out of the stretch it was one of those things where my arm and body were not on the same timing.'

The run marked the end for White, who picked up his second consecutive loss. He was tagged for five runs on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

Colorado jumped to the early lead in the second inning after Troy Tulowitzki scored on a force out that had Kouzmanoff safe at first base.

The advantage was short-lived, however, as Clint Barmes' RBI double tied it at 1-all in the bottom of the inning.

The Rockies regained the lead in the third after a wild pitch by Sosa and subsequent throwing error to second by J.R. Towles gave Eric Young enough time to reach home.

Josh Roenicke replaced Edgmer Escalona to start the seventh and loaded the bases after intentionally walking Lee. He left with two outs, and his replacement, Matt Reynolds, promptly gave up a three-run double to Matt Downs that put the Astros ahead 8-3.

``We made a very, very bad pitch in the seventh inning with the bases loaded when we had the hitter, Matt Downs, no balls and two strikes,' said. ``We had the guy where you would want to have him, believe me. (And) we just made a very, very poorly located pitch that got hit for another three-run double.'

Rosario made Astros reliever Fernando Rodriguez pay for walking Seth Smith and allowing Kouzmanoff on base, belting out his third home run of the season to narrow the gap.

But Barmes scored on a sacrifice fly by Schafer to give the Astros a 9-6 lead in the bottom of the inning.

``We have a bunch of young kids out there, and to sit here and think that they're going to play completely clean is just a ridiculous thought,' Tracy said. ``There are going to be mistakes made; I'm well aware of that.'

Still, he said what hurt the Rockies most on Thursday was White's poor start.

NOTES: Tracy said he doesn't plan to play Todd Helton again this season because of his sore back. Tracy said that Helton is OK, but that they don't want to do anything to jeopardize his health for next season. ... RHP Brett Myers will pitch for Houston against Colorado lefty Drew Pomeranz in the second game of the four-game series on Friday. Myers is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in his last four starts. Pomeranz, a rookie who also came to Colorado in the Jimenez trade, will make his first career road start after allowing two runs and four hits in his last outing.