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Astros-Diamondbacks Preview

Aug 28, 2009 - 6:44 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Houston (62-65) at Arizona (56-72), 9:40 p.m. EDT

Before his team's last game, Arizona Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch said Mark Reynolds still wasn't at full strength after missing time with the flu. Completely healthy or not, Reynolds helped the club deliver one of its best offensive performances of the year.

Reynolds look to build on a strong return and continue his hot hitting against the Houston Astros as the clubs open a three-game series Friday night at Chase Field.

Reynolds missed three games and received an IV treatment because of the flu. Hinch said the slugging third baseman lost weight while battling the illness and still wasn't fully recovered when he took the field against San Francisco on Thursday night.

But Reynolds was healthy enough to make a difference. He delivered an RBI single during Arizona's three-run first inning then hit a towering home run to center in the fifth as the Diamondbacks (56-72) cruised to an 11-0 win over the Giants.

The homer was Reynolds' 39th, one fewer than major league-leader Albert Pujols.

"When I woke up this morning I stood up in bed and I wasn't dizzy, so I was like 'All right, I'm playing,'" Reynolds said. "I figured my timing would be off and I would feel uncomfortable at the plate, but it was the opposite."

With Reynolds sidelined for the first two games of the series, the Diamondbacks lost 5-4 and 4-3.

If his history against Houston is any indication, Reynolds should continue his hot hitting into the weekend. He's hitting .421 with two homers, six doubles, nine RBIs and four runs scored in five games against the Astros this season. In nine career home games against them, he's batted .471 with four homers, seven doubles, 17 RBIs and 11 runs scored.

Like Arizona, Houston (62-65) rebounded from back-to-back one-run losses with a win Thursday. Darin Erstad hit a tying double in the eighth inning and Jeff Keppinger hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth to complete the rally as the Astros beat NL Central-leading St. Louis 4-3.

The comeback win came the day after ace Roy Oswalt criticized the team for going through the motions and called the atmosphere in the clubhouse "dead."

"This was real big," Keppinger said of the victory. "You don't give up just because you're 10 games or 11 games back. You know, you play it all the way out to the end."

Max Scherzer (7-8, 4.12 ERA) will start the series opener for Arizona. The second-year right-hander has lost consecutive starts, including a 4-2 defeat at Houston in his last outing Saturday. He gave up four runs in five innings.

Scherzer is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career games - one start - against the Astros. He's struck out 14 in 9 1-3 innings against them.

Houston will counter with Yorman Bazardo (0-0, 4.50). The right-hander made his first major league start of the season last Wednesday, allowing two runs in 4 2-3 innings as Houston beat Florida 6-3.

Bazardo, who's appeared in 19 games over four seasons with three teams, has never faced Arizona.

The Diamondbacks have lost two of three in each of their first two series against the Astros.