Milwaukee @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 30, 2010 ) Milwaukee 0, Houston 5
Rebuilding or not, the Houston Astros are on the verge of posting their longest winning streak in nearly two months.
With two veterans already out the door, the Astros try for their fourth straight victory on Saturday when they host the Milwaukee Brewers in the middle contest of their three-game series.
After trading ace Roy Oswalt to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, Houston reached an agreement Friday afternoon that would send slugger Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees, pending his approval.
But the returns already have begun paying off as J.A. Happ, who was acquired from the Phillies in the Oswalt deal, made a superb debut for the Astros in Friday's triumph.
Making just his fourth start of the season and second since April 15, Happ limited Milwaukee to two hits and four walks while striking out six over six innings as Houston posted a 5-0 victory. The left-hander allowed a leadoff double by Rickie Weeks in the first inning and followed by issuing a walk to Corey Hart, who returned to the Brewers' lineup after missing five games with a wrist injury.
But Happ wiggled out of trouble against the heart of Milwaukee's batting order, striking out Ryan Braun, getting Prince Fielder to fly out and inducing a groundout by Casey McGehee. The 27-year-old worked out of another jam in the fourth, retiring Alcides Escobar and Manny Parra with two on and one out.
Jason Michaels, Chris Johnson and Jeff Keppinger provided the offense with home runs as Houston posted its third consecutive win and improved to 4-3 on its nine-game homestand. The Astros have not won four in a row since June 1-4.
Johnson's homer, a three-run blast in the fourth inning that made it 4-0, extended his hitting streak to 13 games. It is the longest hitting streak by a Houston rookie since Julio Lugo recorded a hit in 14 straight in 2000.
During his streak, Johnson is batting .417 (20-for-48) with four homers and 12 RBIs.
Milwaukee, which went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position against Happ, lost its third straight game after winning its previous five. The Brewers are just 28-51 all-time at Minute Maid Park.
Dave Bush will try to end Milwaukee's slide. He halted a two-game skid of his own Sunday, when he allowed three runs - two earned - and six hits with a season-high seven strikeouts over six innings of an 8-3 victory over Washington.
Bush owns a career record of 6-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 15 games, including two relief appearances, against Houston. The 30-year old is 0-1 in two starts vs. the Astros this season despite having allowed only two earned runs in 11 innings.
Pedro Feliz is hitting just .176 (3-for-17) against Bush but has two home runs and five RBIs. Carlos Lee has a similar .174 average (4-for-23) but also has recorded two homers and four RBIs.
In 10 games - nine starts - on the road this year, Bush is 2-4 with a 4.41 ERA.
Wandy Rodriguez takes the mound for the Astros in search of his third straight win and sixth in seven starts. Over his last six outings, he has posted a 2.31 ERA.
On Sunday, Rodriguez yielded just one hit and two walks while striking out seven in seven innings en route to a 4-0 victory over Cincinnati that evened his home mark this year at 6-6 in 10 outings.
Rodriguez owns a 6-6 record and 4.48 ERA in 16 career meetings with the Brewers, including a 3-0 mark and 1.31 ERA in six games - five starts - at home. The 31-year old left-hander surrendered only one run and seven hits over seven frames in a 5-1 triumph at Milwaukee on June 30.
Braun is 7-for-19 (.368) with three home runs and five RBIs against Rodriguez, while Hart is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with three RBIs.