Houston @ Kansas City preview
Kauffman Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 15, 2010 ) Houston 7, Kansas City 15
Every time Roy Oswalt takes the mound these days, it's with the knowledge that it could be his last start in a Houston Astros uniform.
Kansas City's Bruce Chen knows that feeling all too well, albeit for much different reasons.
Oswalt and Chen will be the opposing pitchers tonight when the Astros and Royals square off in the middle game of their three-game interleague set.
Kansas City won a slugfest in the series opener Tuesday, banging out 20 hits in a 15-7 victory.
Mike Aviles collected four hits and Billy Butler, David DeJesus and Alberto Callaspo had three hits apiece for the resurgent Royals, who have won four of their last five games while scoring 42 runs in the process.
Oswalt (4-8) has been linked to a number of teams – most recently the Texas Rangers – since his agent requested a trade last month.
The 32-year-old right-hander has spent his entire career with the Astros but has said he wants a chance to play for a contending team.
That's not likely to happen anytime soon with Houston, which is lagging in fourth place in the National League Central, 11 games back of division leader Cincinnati.
The Astros simply haven't been able to score on a regular basis, and no one has felt the effects of the paucity of runs more than Oswalt.
Houston pushed across only 18 runs in Oswalt's first nine starts of the season. For you non-math majors, that's a pitiful 2.0 runs per start and the primary reason why Oswalt opened the season 2-6 despite sporting an ERA of 2.66.
After a couple of rocky outings, including one in which he was ejected, Oswalt returned to form his last time out, allowing two runs on four hits in seven innings of a 5-4 win over Colorado.
He is 1-0 in two career starts against Houston, allowing two runs while striking out 12 in 14 innings.
If Oswalt does indeed get traded, Chen would be one of the best sources as to giving tips on getting acclimated to a new city.
The left-hander, who will turn 33 Saturday, is with his 10th major league team. He was called up in late April to help stabilize a ragged bullpen but found himself force-fed into the starting rotation following an injury to Gil Meche.
Chen (3-0) will make his fourth straight start tonight. He has won his last two outings, though he was not particularly sharp against Minnesota last Thursday, giving up five runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings.
He’ll have to find a way to cool off DeJesus and Butler. DeJesus had hit safely in 12 of 13 games this month to the tune of .429 (21-for-49). Butler had 10 hits in his last 12 at-bats and has boosted his average to .341.
Every Royals regular had at least one hit Tuesday, including catcher Jason Kendall, whose eighth-inning single was just his second hit in his last 33 at-bats.