Pittsburgh @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 25, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 3, Houston 10
The two worst teams in the National League begin a three-game series on Tuesday.
So there's a good chance the national television highlights over the next few days won't be led by video from the Pittsburgh Pirates-Houston Astros games.
Houston is in fifth place in the NL Central, a game-and-a-half better than Pittsburgh, which could get out of the cellar with a sweep of the series.
Thanks to yet another example of Major League Baseball's odd scheduling, the teams have met only three times this season, despite the fact they're division rivals. The Astros outscored the Pirates, 19-8, en route to sweeping a three-game series in Houston on April 23-25.
Beginning with this series, Houston and Pittsburgh meet 12 more times. Considering how poorly both teams have played this season, that might not be a good thing for baseball purists - but the games will go on anyway.
The Astros are only 16-24 at home while the Pirates are 11-32 away from home, the fewest road wins in the National League. Only the Baltimore Orioles have fewer roads wins in the majors with nine.
The Astros have played well against the NL Central, going 15-12. The Pirates are 17-19.
Pittsburgh sends top prospect Brad Lincoln to the mound.
The right-hander is coming off his first major league win against the Chicago Cubs - and it was the best performance in five starts since being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis last month. Lincoln fired seven shutout innings, allowing just four hits, walking one and striking out six in that one.
The outing was much better than Lincoln's first four starts in which he allowed 29 hits, 18 runs - 16 earned - with eight walks and eight strikeouts in 24 innings.
The Pirates selected Lincoln with the fourth overall pick in the 2006 draft.
Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, who has struggled most of the season, starts for Houston. After winning once in seven outings, he has won his last two starts - beating the San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively. He has allowed one earned run in 13 innings.
Rodriguez defeated the Pirates on April 24. He gave up two runs - one earned - and seven hits while striking out seven in 7 1/3 innings.
Rodriguez's recent success aside, he hasn't looked like the pitcher who finished 14-12 with a 3.02 ERA last season. He has given up 106 hits in 88 1/3 innings and hitters are batting .305 against him this season.