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Astros-Twins Preview

Jun 19, 2009 - 5:30 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Houston (29-34) at Minnesota (33-34), 8:10 p.m. EDT

Solid starting pitching has paced the Minnesota Twins' success during interleague play this season. That could continue with Kevin Slowey on the mound.

He looks to become the majors' second 10-game winner when the Twins open a three-game home set against Roy Oswalt and Houston Astros on Friday night.

Minnesota (34-34) improved to 7-2 in interleague play with a 5-1 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Twins are 21-6 versus the NL since the start of last season.

Nick Blackburn became the first Minnesota pitcher since Slowey in July to pitch a complete game as the Twins won for the sixth time in nine contests.

Minnesota starters, who've allowed more than three runs once in the last nine games, have a 2.37 ERA during interleague action in 2009.

"We've had some bumps along the way from our starters but I think they are starting to settle in decently now," manager Ron Gardenhire told the Twins' official Web site.

Slowey (9-2, 4.23 ERA), three wins shy of matching his career high set a year ago, is one of four pitchers with nine victories. Chad Billingsley of the Los Angeles Dodgers will also be going for his 10th win on Friday. Toronto's Roy Halladay, currently on the 15-day disabled list with a groin strain, leads the majors with 10.

In his third season, Slowey is 6-1 with a 2.58 ERA in nine starts versus NL opponents. Coming off his second loss, the right-hander allowed three runs and four hits while striking out a season-high 10 in six innings of a 7-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Slowey, born some 41 miles north of Houston, makes his first start against the Astros (30-34), who look for another strong outing from Oswalt.

Pitching on six days' rest due to some wrist tendinitis, Oswalt (3-3, 4.37) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings of a 6-4 win at Arizona on Saturday.

"For the first time all season, I had two pitches - fastball and curveball - I could command," he told the Astros' official Web site. "I definitely felt better than I had in my last two starts."

The right-hander is 10-7 with a 3.48 ERA in 24 interleague starts, and 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two versus Minnesota.

Hunter Pence hit a tie-breaking homer Thursday as Houston beat Texas 5-3. The Astros went 1-5 versus the Rangers in interleague action this year.

Pence is 5 for 9 with two homers in his last two games after going 2 for 25 in his previous seven.

Second in the NL with a .341 average, Miguel Tejada is batting .367 (22-for-60) during a 15-game hitting streak versus Minnesota. The Houston shortstop spent his first 11 major league seasons in the AL with Oakland and Baltimore.

Michael Cuddyer became the fifth Twins player to hit his 10th homer Thursday. He's batting .480 (12 for 25) with two home runs and seven RBIs in interleague play.

The Twins hope to have star catcher Joe Mauer back after he missed Thursday's contest with the flu. He's batting .425 with 13 homers and 41 RBIs in 43 games since coming off the disabled list (offseason kidney surgery).

This is the first meeting between the clubs since 2006. Minnesota leads the series 10-7.