Chicago @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 8, Houston 3

The Chicago Cubs look to close out the season by booking a series sweep of the Houston Astros on Sunday in what might be Chicago interim manager Mike Quade’s last game at the helm.

The Cubs improved to 24-12 overall and 17-4 on the road under Quade with Saturday’s 8-3 win, but while Quade was leading the team from the dugout, Chicago general manager Jim Hendry was interviewing Bob Melvin for next year’s managing job.

The club is also considering former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg, and there is word that New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi would be near the top of its wish list, should he become available.

Quade has gained the support of his players during this stint and today’s starting pitcher, Ryan Dempster, went on the record last week as saying that he hopes Quade will be back with the Cubs (75-86) next year.

Dempster (15-11, 3.83 ERA) looked more like his usual self in his last start after giving up nine runs in just 1 2/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 23. He bounced back from that outing to limit the San Diego Padres to a pair of runs over seven innings while striking out nine in a 5-2 win.

The veteran right-hander has won six consecutive road starts, working on a 1.09 ERA over that stretch. Dempster is 1-0 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts against the Astros this season.

Houston's Nelson Figueroa (6-4, 3.52 ERA) will fill in for Wandy Rodriguez, who was scratched with back spasms. Figueroa worked out of the bullpen for most of the season but now may be in line for a spot in next year’s starting rotation.

With injuries to Felipe Paulino and Brian Moehler, Figueroa has been pitching exclusively as a starter since mid-August and has allowed more than four runs only once in nine outings.

The right-hander is coming off an impressive 2-0 win over in which he blanked the Cincinnati Reds over 6 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking three. Figueroa downed the Cubs 7-3 on Sept. 7, allowing three runs on six hits over five innings.

The Astros (75-86) couldn’t get much of anything going against Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs in Saturday’s 8-3 loss. They were held scoreless until they put up three runs in the seventh, helped out by a couple of fielding gaffes by Chicago’s Bobby Scales. Houston finished with just three hits on the evening and has scored fewer than four runs in six straight games.

Houston hasn’t been swept at home by the Cubs since 2006.