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Reds-Astros Preview

Apr 28, 2010 - 5:33 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Cincinnati (8-11) at Houston (8-10), 8:05 p.m. EDT

The Cincinnati Reds much-maligned pitching staff managed to quiet the bats of the Houston Astros in the opener of their three-game series, extending the late success they had against their division rival last season.

The Reds look for their 11th win in 12 games against the Astros as the two continue their set Wednesday night.

Cincinnati (9-11) began the week with a pitching staff that owned a 6.02 ERA, but beat Houston 6-2 on Tuesday for its second straight win overall while holding an opponent under four runs for only the third time this season.

The Astros (8-11), who scored 19 runs in a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh over the weekend, went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and struck out a season-high 11 times. Aaron Harang pitched six effective innings, striking out six for his first win of the season.

"He kept us off balance with the slider and had good placement with the fastball," Houston's Michael Bourn said.

A third consecutive win Wednesday night would match Cincinnati's longest streak of the season from April 11-13.

The Reds will turn to Mike Leake (1-0, 3.92 ERA) to follow up Harang's solid start, hoping their offense can back him again as well.

Ryan Hanigan went 2 for 3 and drove in three runs on Tuesday. The catcher is 8 for 11 his last five games and batting .483 this season.

Leake recorded his first major league win in his last start Thursday thanks to a late rally against the Dodgers. The 22-year-old rookie gave up five runs and eight hits, including two home runs, over seven innings in his third professional start, but the Reds scored four times in the bottom of seventh to get him the win.

Leake was the only Reds starter to record a win in 2010 before Harang's victory Tuesday.

"I'm excited," he said. "I just don't show it too much. It feels good, not necessarily for my first one, but for the starters and the team."

The right-hander's other two starts have come against the Cubs and Pirates in which he walked 12. He issued only one walk against the Dodgers.

The Astros, who had won seven of their previous eight and scored 10 runs in their previous game, will try to get back on track when it hands the ball to the struggling Felipe Paulino (0-2, 5.94).

Paulino suffered his second straight loss last Thursday, giving up five runs - two earned - in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-1 loss to the Marlins. The Astros have dropped all three of his starts.

The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.86 ERA against the Reds, including losing the last three starts against them.

Houston went 4-12 against the Reds last season, losing nine of the final 10 meetings.