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Giants-Astros Preview

Apr 5, 2010 - 2:33 AM By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer

San Francisco (0-0) at Houston (0-0), 7:05 p.m. EDT

HOUSTON (AP) -- Roy Oswalt is relieved to be healthy and ready to start Houston's season opener against San Francisco on Monday.

Oswalt had a little scare when his left hamstring tightened up during a spring start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26. The ace returned to Houston and received an injection in his back, clearing the way for him to extend his club record to eight consecutive opening-day starts.

Oswalt, who will face two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, said taking the mound on opening day is never routine.

"It's still exciting, most of the time it's 43,000 or 44,000 people," he said. "Everybody is ready for baseball season to start so it's fun. Hopefully we'll start on the right foot."

Oswalt is hoping to return to form this season after last year's career-worst 8-6 record, when he pitched his fewest innings (181 1-3) since his injury-filled 2003 campaign. He strained his lower back last July and missed the last two weeks of the season because of a bulging disk.

"My biggest goal is to try to start every start," he said. "Hopefully if I can make every start I feel like I've still got enough stuff to throw 200 innings and put us in situations to win."

Astros first-year manager Brad Mills has brought a new energy and optimism to the team and is ready for the opener.

"I think we've got a lot of talent on this club and we've got an exciting ballclub, a club that's fun," he said. "We've got some speed, some power, a good defensive club if the team is healthy."

The Giants are eager to see how their offense shapes up with new additions Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa.

"Finally, it's here," slugger Pablo Sandoval said. "We've just been waiting for those three days (in Houston) to see the new team we've got. All spring we've been working as a team and with those new guys, they're going to help us. We've got a little bit of everything: power, average, contact, speed."

Huff had 32 homers and 108 RBIs two seasons ago, and 15 homers with 85 RBIs last year with Detroit and Baltimore. DeRosa has 44 homers over the last two seasons and had 78 RBIs in 2009 with St. Louis and Cleveland.

"We're adding a couple of professional hitters in our lineup - Huff and DeRosa - and they do have patience and will have longer at-bats," manager Bruce Bochy said. "But we will still be a free-swinging club. We feel we should put more runs on the board."

While the Giants are eager to get their new hitters into the lineup, the Astros will be without their star slugger. All-Star first baseman Lance Berkman is on the 15-day disabled list after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last month.

"It's going to hurt us a little bit out of the gate with Berkman being down, but I think once he comes back and it puts another bat in the lineup, then I think we'll be in good shape," Oswalt said.

Berkman isn't sure how long he'll be out, but believes the team will be better than people expect. He's a bit miffed that some have picked Houston to contend with Washington for the worst team in the National League.

"While, at least in the national media, no one is expecting us to do much this year, I don't see that as the case," he said. "I think this team has a lot of potential. I think we're probably the most underrated team in all of baseball. So I'm excited to see how we're going to come out and I look for us to play well in the early going."

The Giants won their opening series last season before losing six straight to NL West teams Los Angeles and San Diego. They are looking for a better start this year after those losses hindered their NL wild-card chances down the stretch last season.

"It's important they feel like that," Bochy said. "What we want to stay away from is putting extra pressure on ourselves. Last year we took the first series then lost six straight. Hopefully we'll get off to a quick start. If you look back and we hadn't lost those six straight last year we might have been in the playoffs."