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Giants-Astros Preview

Jun 23, 2010 - 4:14 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Francisco (38-30) at Houston (26-44), 8:05 p.m. EDT

Barry Zito has played a key part in San Francisco's recent dominance of the Houston Astros.

Trying to remain perfect against Houston this season, Zito looks to help the Giants win their 10th consecutive game against the Astros on Wednesday night.

Zito (7-3, 3.13 ERA) makes his third start this season against the Astros (26-45), who have dropped five straight overall after a 3-1 loss to San Francisco on Tuesday night. The left-hander has allowed three runs and struck out nine in 13 innings to win both 2010 outings, improving to 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in five career starts versus the Astros.

Zito allowed three hits in six innings of a 3-0 win in his last start at Minute Maid Park on April 6.

However, Zito took the loss in his most recent start when he gave up three runs and four hits in eight innings of a 3-2 defeat at Toronto on Friday.

"That's a tough loss for him because he has had good stuff, he gets a complete game, a great effort and we just couldn't get enough runs for him," manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Giants (39-30) have outscored the Astros 53-20 during their nine-game winning streak in the series. San Francisco, 7-0 against Houston this season, will try for a seventh consecutive victory at Minute Maid Park.

That could be a challenge against Houston's scheduled starter Brett Myers (4-5, 3.34), who is 3-0 with a 2.89 ERA in seven home starts.

However, Myers is 1-4 with a 6.63 ERA in seven starts against San Francisco, including 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA in two this season. He gave up four runs and struck out seven in eight innings against the Giants on May 16, suffering a 4-3 loss against Zito in San Francisco.

Myers, a right-hander, will look to avoid a third straight defeat overall after giving up four runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 5-2 loss at Kansas City on Thursday.

"It's frustrating," said Myers, who has not allowed more than four runs in any of his 14 starts this season.

Bengie Molina, 4 for 10 against Myers, went 2 for 2 on Tuesday for the Giants. The veteran catcher is batting .342 in his last 10 games versus Houston.

After a two-hit effort in the series opener, San Francisco's Aubrey Huff is batting.410 over the last 11 games.

Michael Bourn went 2 for 4 with an RBI on Tuesday for the Astros, who have lost nine of 10. Despite a solid effort in the series opener, Bourn is 5 for 42 with 15 strikeouts in his last 11 games.

Catcher Jason Castro, the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft who's regarded as the top prospect in Houston's system, went 1 for 4 in his major league debut Tuesday.

"I'm ready for whatever they ask of me," Castro told the Astros' official website. "I'm prepared and excited to get going."