• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Astros-Cardinals Preview

Apr 15, 2010 - 5:16 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Houston (0-7) at St. Louis (5-2), 1:40 p.m. EDT

To avoid matching the worst start in franchise history, Houston needs to get its inept offense on track against the St. Louis Cardinals' Kyle Lohse.

While seemingly not a major challenge, this has proven to be extremely difficult for the Astros.

Lohse looks to continue his dominance over the Astros in Busch Stadium on Thursday, as Houston tries to avoid starting the season with nine consecutive losses.

After falling in Monday's series opener 5-1, the Astros matched a season low with four hits in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Cardinals (6-2).

New manager Brad Mills held a rare, off-day optional workout Tuesday in an effort to help players relax. It was to no avail, as a lineup sorely missing Lance Berkman (left knee) scored one run or fewer for the fifth time, and remained the lone winless team in the major leagues.

The Astros have scored a major league-worst 14 runs in 2010 with the middle of the batting order struggling most. Hunter Pence is hitting just .103 with one homer, two RBIs and no walks, while Carlos Lee is batting .097 with no extra-base hits, no RBIs and one walk.

"There's not a guy that's not trying," said Brett Myers, Wednesday's losing pitcher. "I think some of us might be trying too hard. But it's part of the game. We miss Lance obviously, but guys have got to step up - including myself."

If they don't figure things out quickly, they'll match the franchise-worst 0-9 start, set in 1983.

Making matters more difficult, however, is Houston now will face a pitcher it's had little success against.

Since being acquired by the Cardinals in 2008, Lohse (0-0, 6.00 ERA) has recorded a modest 21-16 record with a 4.17 ERA, but he's gone 5-1 with a 2.44 ERA in seven starts against the Astros. He has been significantly better against them in St. Louis, posting a 0.86 ERA in winning all three starts there.

Lohse will make his second start of the season after giving up four runs, six hits and three walks in six innings of Friday's 5-4 win in Milwaukee. The right-hander didn't receive a decision and was most upset about the free passes, as two of the batters he walked later came around to score.

"You can't walk yourself in trouble like that," he told the Cardinals' official Web site. "You can't put yourself in that situation too many times. I know better than that. I just can't make those mistakes."

Lohse didn't have any trouble when it came to walking batters against Houston last season, issuing three bases on balls over 22 innings in three starts. He went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in those outings.

The Astros counter with Bud Norris (0-1, 10.13), who had surprising success against the Cardinals as a rookie last season.

Norris' first career start came in St. Louis on Aug. 2, and the right-hander allowed just two hits in seven innings of a 2-0 win. He faced them again on Sept. 23, and gave up six hits in six innings of a 3-0 win.

Norris wasn't able to match that success in his first start of the season Friday against Philadelphia, yielding three runs, six hits and four walks while tossing 82 pitches over 2 2-3 innings in an 8-0 loss.

"I was all over the place a little bit," Norris said. "I have some adjustments I need to make either mechanically or mentally and I'll figure those out, make those adjustments and get back out there."