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Diamondbacks look to continue to pound Astros

May 26, 2007 - 2:17 PM Houston (21-27) at Arizona (27-23), 9:40 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) - Handcuffed in a three-game series against one of the worst staffs in baseball at home, the Arizona Diamondbacks are taking their frustrations out against the Houston Astros.

The Diamondbacks continue their four-game weekend series with the Astros on Saturday at Chase Field.

Limited to seven runs in the first three games of their current seven-game homestand against the Colorado Rockies, who sport a 4.80 ERA, Arizona has scored runs at a blistering rate in the first two games of this series. The Diamondbacks have posted 22 runs, already a season best mark for the team even though they still two games remaining.

The Astros, on the other hand, are heading in the opposite direction. They have been outscored 53-8 during a six-game skid.

Not helping matters on Saturday is their opponent, Brandon Webb (3-3, 3.86 ERA). The righthander is 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA in six career starts against Houston, including victories in his last three starts against Houston.

Webb has already beaten the Astros once this season, tossing a six-hitter and striking out 10 in a 3-1 victory on May 11. The 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner has dominated a number of Astros hitters over his career, including Brad Ausmus (1-for-15), Lance Berkman (2-for-17) and Craig Biggio (1-for-21).

In his last start, he surrendered five runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts, but did not factor into the decision in a 6-5 win over the Rockies on Monday.

The sinkerballer has struggled at home after going 10-2 with a 2.95 ERA there last season. He is also still looking for his first win at Chase Field after going 0-2 with a 5.46 ERA in his first four outings.

Chris Sampson (4-4, 3.31) will get the call for the Astros. Houston has scored a total of four runs in the last four games that the righthander has pitched, greatly contributing to his 1-3 record despite a 3.04 ERA over that time.

Sampson allowed three runs - one earned - over six innings in a 4-0 loss at San Francisco on Monday. The 29-year-old is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his only career start against the Diamondbacks.