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Pirates-Astros Preview

Apr 23, 2010 - 5:13 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Pittsburgh (7-7) at Houston (5-9), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to move on and bounce back from a series they'd like to forget. Facing Roy Oswalt might not make doing that so easy.

Coming off their worst loss ever, the visiting Pirates open a weekend series against the Houston Astros on Friday night.

Pittsburgh (7-8) began a six-game homestand by sweeping Cincinnati last weekend, but then was outscored 36-1 while getting swept by Milwaukee in the final three games.

The Pirates' 20-0 loss to the Brewers on Thursday was the most lopsided defeat in club history.

"We need to learn from this game," manager John Russell said. "We don't want to do this anymore."

To put that series in the past and get back on track, the Pirates must show some improvement at the plate and on the mound this weekend.

The Pirates hit .189 and recorded 18 hits against the Brewers. Andrew McCutchen went 4 for 11 with two doubles in the series, but he's hitting .184 lifetime against the Astros (5-10).

Pittsburgh hit .236 and scored 23 runs while going 3-6 at Houston last season. It will likely be in for a major challenge against Oswalt (1-2, 2.37 ERA), who's 13-7 with a 2.64 ERA in 25 starts against the Pirates. He is 7-2 in his last 11 outings against them.

The ace right-hander earned his first win of the season after giving up five hits and striking out six in seven scoreless innings of a 4-3 win at Chicago on Saturday.

A hard-luck loser in his first two starts of 2010, Oswalt's latest victory moved him into second place on the Astros' career wins list with 138 - six shy of leader Joe Niekro.

"It means a lot," Oswalt said after moving ahead of Larry Dierker, his former manager, on the list. "Dierk gave me the ball first day and told me, 'Pitch till you can't pitch no more.' It's been a lot of fun."

Paul Maholm (1-1, 4.58) hopes to provide a solid outing in this contest after Pittsburgh starters allowed 19 runs in 9 2-3 innings against Milwaukee.

"You want to go out there as a pitcher and make sure that you get the momentum and keep it on our side," Maholm told the Pirates' official website.

The left-hander has been able to do that of late against the Astros. While Maholm is 8-4 with a 4.01 ERA all-time against them, he's posted a 2.17 ERA while winning his last four starts at Houston.

Maholm earned his first win of the season after he gave up two runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-3 victory over the Reds on Sunday.

Lance Berkman is 4 for 29 against Maholm, but had two hits in a 5-1 loss to Florida on Thursday that snapped the Astros' four-game winning streak. Berkman is 3 for 12 with three RBIs in three games since returning from knee surgery.

"I'm glad to get back and help out where I can, but I don't expect to come in here and hit 40 home runs in the first three months of the season," Berkman told the Astros' official website. "I'll try to do the best I can."