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Cardinals turn to Pineiro in rubber match vs. Astros

Aug 30, 2007 - 2:05 PM St. Louis (64-65) at Houston (59-74) 2:05 pm EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) - After running into a buzzsaw known as Roy Oswalt on Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals look to continue their late-season surge as they wrap up their three-game series with the Houston Astros on Thursday.

St. Louis missed out on a chance to move within one game of the first-place Chicago Cubs (67-64) in the National League Central on Wednesday as Oswalt blanked them, 7-0.

The setback halted the Cardinals' rapid ascension in the division standings, as they have trimmed a nine-game deficit from July 27 down to two games by going 18-12 over their last 30 contests.

St. Louis on Thursday will turn to Joel Pineiro (3-1, 3.86 ERA), who is unbeaten in his last four starts. Over that stretch, he is 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA.

That span was capped off by his worst start in that time, as Pineiro surrendered three runs and seven hits over just four innings but did not factor into Saturday's 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Overall, the righthander is 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA in two career starts against the Astros.

Houston will turn to rookie Matt Albers (3-6, 5.71), who looks to repeat the success he enjoyed when he faced St. Louis on May 5 - his only career appearance against them. He yielded three hits and walked just one batter in 7 1/3 innings in a 13-0 win.

The righthander did not receive a decision in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing two runs - one earned - and six hits with six strikeouts over seven frames.