Houston Astros
-Astros pinch hitters have a combined .667 slugging percentage, which is tops in the NL.
-Houston starters have posted a 3.08 ERA in ther last 8 games, as the team is 5-3 over that span.
-Starting staff is tops in the NL in collective batting average this season with a .318 mark.
-Facing the Pirates for the first time this season. Their 10-5 mark versus the Bucs in 2009 was their best versus any Central division opponent. Houston has a 55-23 all-time record against Pittsburgh at Minute Maid Park.
-SP Roy Oswalt is 13-7 with a 2.62 ERA in 25 career starts (26 appearances) vs the Pirates.
St. Louis Cardinals
-The Cardinals are 13-17 all-time at AT&T Park.
-Won each of their first five series to begin the season, doing so for the first time in franchise history. They have won the opening game in each of their first five series for the first time since 2005.
-Enter tonight's game having hit an NL-high 23 home runs, tied with Toronto for the MLB lead. The Cardinals have scored 45 of their 75 runs via the long ball.
-SP Jaime Garcia makes his 3rd start of the season, having already faced aces Yovani Gallardo and Johan Santana in his first two.
-St. Louis is 332-271 against the NL West since the inception of the six-division alignment in 1994.
Philadelphia Phillies
-Among all MLB teams, only Tampa Bay has a better road mark this season at 9-1. 15 of the Phillies first 22 games this seaon will come away from Citizens Bank Park.
-Starting pitchers have combined to go 9-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 15 games. Among all NL starting staffs, the Phils lead in wins, complete games and fewest walks allowed.
-In 2009, the Phillies posted a 20-13 record against NL West Division teams. Their .606 winning percentage last season was the best for any NL team outside the NL West and they finished one win behind Houston for the most wins.
-Enter tonight's game with a streak of 36 innings without a homerun.
-SP Cole Hamels is an even 7-7 with a 3.75 ERA in 18 career starts in April.
Pittsburgh Pirates
-The Pirates have dropped 3 straight games after winning three in a row. They have gone 4-4 in their last 8 games after losing 2 straignt and 4-of-5.
-Tonight the Bucs begin a 10-game road trip. Pittsbrugh has gone 2-4 on the road this season.
-SP Paul Maholm has 8 career wins against the Astros - the most against any opposing team. He has won 3 straight and 5 of his last 6 starts against Houston.
-OF Ryan Church has hit safely in 5 straight, 6 of 7 and 7 of 9 of his game as a member of the Pirates.
-The Pirates are 3-3 in a stretch that has the club playing 24 of 28 games against clubs from the NL Central.
-Former Astro Octavio Dotel returns to Houston tonight, as he has a 14-12 record with 22 saves and a 2.99 ERA in 161 career games at Minute Maid Park.
-OF Andrew McCutchen leads the Majors with 9 stolen bases. So far this year the Pirates have been successful on 16 of their 18 stolen base attempts.
-Pittsburgh has gone 7-1 when they have scored 4 or more runs in a game and are 0-7 when being held to three or fewer.
-Bullpen has produced a 4-0 record in the first 15 games - in addition the relievers rank 3rd in the NL with 55 strikeouts as a group.
Seattle Mariners
-After a rocky start that had them going 2-6 in their first 8 games, the Mariners have won 7 of their last 8 games to move two game over .500 at 9-7.
-Seattle won on Wednesday versus Baltimore for its first sweep of the season. They have won three consecutive series and have had a lead in 13 of 16 games this season.
-Completed their first homestand of the season going 7-2 against the A's, Tigers and Orioles.
-After starting the season slowly batting .222 in the first 9 games, Ichiro has head up to bat .444 over his last 7 games.
-Over the last 8 games, starting pitchers have allowed only 11 earned runs in 54.2 IP (1.81 ERA) and have struck out 40. Overall, the team ranks 2nd in the AL in ERA (3.19), including identical marks by starters and relievers.
-RP David Aardsma is the first player in club history to record 6 saves in his first 6 appearances of the season.
Baltimore Orioles
-The Orioles are 3-18 in their last 21 road games and 27-64 on the road since the start of the 2009 season.
-Baltimore was 1-8 in Baltimore and Boston against the Red Sox last season.
-In his first 3 starts, SP Jeremy Guthrie has faced Matt Garza twice and Justin Duchscherer - he will then face Jon Lester tonight and is scheduled to face CC Sabathia on Wednesday. In 39 career starts against the Orioles, those four pitchers are a combined 29-2 with a 2.40 ERA.
-Guthrie has not allowed a first inning run in three starts this year, after allowing 29 runs in the first frame in 2009.
-Baltimore has scored more runs in Brian Matusz's three starts (19), than they have in the 10 combined starts of Guthrie, Milwood and Hernandez.
-Since September 17, 2009, the Orioles are 6-27 and have a .242 team batting average. Only San Diego (.240) has registered a lower team batting average during that time.