HOUSTON – Brandon Backe popped into Port Arthur on an awful winter’s day and popped off about the 30-plus starts and 200-plus innings that he intended to deliver in 2008.

Actions will speak louder than the 30-year-old former Galveston Ball quarterback’s words. Perhaps the Astros right-hander can produce such a hefty accomplishment. It’s only 35 games – or eight Backe starts into the season.

The doubters within the Houston media corps did their fair share of groaning Thursday night as Backe dipped to 2-4 and failed to deliver a quality start against that feared Murderer’s Row known as the Washington Nationals. A superb six-game homestand ended on a flat note with the unheralded visitors leaving town with an 8-3 victory before 33,433.

Backe historically has tended to be more effective in front of Minute Maid Park’s home folks too. No such home-field advantage could enable Backe’s team to extend that five-game winning streak. Not even Brandon’s career-best nine strikeouts, sandwiched among three bases on balls.

Nationals’ lefty John Lannan evened his record at 3-3, by outpitching Backe on this warm night. Lannan allowed a run and seven hits in six innings. The Washington starter did not completely shut down Houston’s bats but his damage control skills worked better. His bullpen did too.

Astros manager Cecil Cooper took the blame for Washington’s ability to score twice in the sixth against Backe, whose earned run average increased to 4.64. Cooper decided to expend Backe’s legs at running the bases in Houston’s fruitless fifth-inning rally.

“I thought Brandon had the best stuff he’s had all year,” Brenham native Cooper said. “I thought his fifth inning on the bases took its toll. I made a mistake of sending the runner and I will take the blame for that.

“Then he went back out there in the sixth and had some pitches where he got the ball up.”

Backe agreed that he might have lacked some energy in the sixth after running the bases. That reality failed to mask Brandon’s frustration with the end result.

“It bothers me that when the sixth inning comes around, I can’t get to the seventh inning. Running the bases may have hurt but I’ve got to suck that up.

“I can’t say that I did bad but they (Washington’s batters) started figuring out that I was throwing sliders. I mean, I will take nine strikeouts, but I would rather have less strikeouts and give up less runs.”

After a visit from Houston pitching coach Dewey Robinson, Backe yielded a sharp two-run single to center by Austin Kearns, who walked to the plate with a scary .211 batting average. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman – batting .236 at the time – got ahead in the count 2-0 and hit a belt-high slider to leftcenter, helping set a bases-loaded, no-out situation for Kearns.

Backe uncorked two high fast balls early in this homestand finale that he would have liked to have back. Nick Johnson ripped a high heater to the base of the Astros bullpen in right center for a first-inning run, scoring Cristian Guzman. Leadoff man Willie Harris (all 185 pounds of him) socked a 397-foot, solo homer to rightcenter off Backe in the third.

“I didn’t pitch too bad,” Backe said as he packed his bags for a 10-game road trip. “But I did make some mistakes and they capitalized on them. That dreaded sixth inning did me in again.”

His voice did not sound the same as it had in January at Port Arthur’s Astros caravan stop. No guarantees would be issued on this disappointing occasion.