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Sep 13, 2009 - 11:32 PM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Houston (70-72) at Cincinnati (64-78), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Houston Astros won't be making the playoffs, but they have a few reasons to be encouraged that 2009 won't be a lost season.

Their performance on a just-completed homestand is one, and the emergence of Wandy Rodriguez is another.

The Astros will hand the ball to Rodriguez as they go for their eighth win in 11 games Monday night in the opener of a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds.

It's been a frustrating year for Houston, which is on pace for its second losing campaign in three years after finishing at .500 or better in 14 of the previous 15.

The Astros (70-73), though, stepped up their play on a 7-3 homestand that started with a four-game sweep of NL East-leading Philadelphia. They followed by losing two of three against Atlanta, but finished by taking two of three against Pittsburgh.

Houston failed to complete the sweep Sunday, falling 2-1.

The Astros stand a good chance of carrying the success from their homestand on the road with Rodriguez (13-9, 2.76 ERA) taking the mound. The left-hander has three more wins in 2009 than he'd totaled in any other season, and his ERA is 0.78 points lower than his previous career best.

Rodriguez has held opponents to one or no runs in 11 of his last 13 starts, including Wednesday against the Braves. He allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, keeping the Astros in the game before Miguel Tejada's two-run single in the ninth inning gave them a 2-1 victory.

Rodriguez is 2-1 with a 0.50 ERA in three starts against the Reds this season. He hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any of his six starts against them since Aug. 10, 2008.

To end its struggles against Rodriguez, Cincinnati (64-79) likely will need more offense than it got in its last game. The Reds scraped together two runs in the ninth inning of a 5-2 road loss to Chicago on Sunday, their sixth defeat in seven games.

Cincinnati was officially eliminated from the NL Central race.

"I hate to look at the (standings) in the paper and see an 'X' by us," manager Dusty Baker said.

Despite their recent struggles, the Reds have won seven of 10 against the Astros in 2009, including the teams' last four meetings at Great American Ball Park.

Bronson Arroyo (12-12, 4.17), who will take the mound for the series opener, is one factor behind that success. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two games against Houston this season. In his last start against the Astros on May 27, he held them to five hits in a complete-game 6-1 victory.

Houston first baseman Lance Berkman, hitting .438 with three homers, six RBIs and six runs scored over his last five games, is batting .295 with five homers and six walks in his career against Arroyo.

Arroyo has been very effective lately, lasting at least seven innings and allowing no more than two runs in any of his previous six starts. He's 2-1 with a 1.39 ERA in that stretch.

Arroyo held Colorado to two runs and five hits in seven innings and didn't get a decision in Cincinnati's 4-3 road loss Wednesday.