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Astros look to avoid tying franchise low in series finale

May 31, 2007 - 2:45 PM Cincinnati (21-33) at Houston (21-31) 8:05 pm EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- The Houston Astros had to view a series with the National League's worst team as a chance to work themselves out of an early-season hole. Instead, they have dug a deeper ditch.

The Astros look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds when the teams conclude their series on Thursday at Minute Maid Park.

Houston entered this series with eight straight losses but had to figure that it would be able to right the ship against a team that had the worst winning percentage in the majors. Instead, it has dropped two one-run contests to the Reds and are one win away from tying a franchise-worst 11-game skid from August 17-28, 1995.

Woody Williams (1-7, 5.65 ERA), who has lost two straight decisions, will get the start hoping to get Houston back into the win column.

Williams has received three or fewer runs of support in 10 of his 11 outings but has not helped himself either, allowing four or more runs in three straight after going four consecutive outings without yielding more than three.

The righthander surrendered four runs and five hits over five frames in a 13-3 loss to the Rangers on Friday. He is 9-5 in 21 lifetime starts against the Reds, sporting a 5.37 ERA.

Cincinnati will send Bronson Arroyo (2-5, 4.01) to the mound with the hopes of compounding the Astros' slump. His biggest flaw lately has been the first inning, as he has allowed four runs in the opening frame in each of his last two starts.

The righthander has lost three straight decisions, including a 9-5 setback against Pittsburgh on Saturday. He yielded six runs and seven hits over four innings. It was the second straight start he failed to make it past four frames after pitching into the sixth in his first nine outings.

Arroyo has yielded only three runs in 14 innings over two starts against the Astros this season, picking up the win in an 11-2 road rout on May 1 due to seven strong innings.