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Oswalt gives Astros advantage on the mound

Sep 23, 2006 - 3:22 PM St Louis (80-72) at Houston (75-78) 7:05 pm EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- For the next two days, the Houston Astros figure to have the upper hand on the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Roy Oswalt takes the hill Saturday as the Astros continue a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis entered this series looking to clinch its third straight National League Central Division crown. But the Cardinals magic number remains at five following a pair of 6-5 losses.

Houston started Andy Pettitte and Jason Hirsh in those games. But after Oswalt (14-8, 3.05 ERA) starts, Roger Clemens takes the mound.

Oswalt is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts vs. the Cardinals this year. The righthander has won his last five decisions and on September 13 in St. Louis, he allowed one run and seven hits in 8 1/3 innings

On Monday, he improved to 8-2 since the All-Star break. In 6 2/3 innings vs. Cincinnati, Oswalt allowed two runs and eight hits.

The Astros have slim chances of making the playoffs. They have won three in a row and four of five but remain 5 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in the wild card race.

St. Louis has lost three in a row after Braden Looper allowed Craig Biggio's ninth-inning RBI single Friday. The Cardinals are also a half-game behind San Diego for the second-best record in the NL.

Anthony Reyes (5-7, 4.92) makes his third start of the season vs. Houston. Reyes has not recorded a decision against Houston and has allowed seven runs and 10 hits in 11 1/3 innings.

Reyes did not get a decision Monday in Milwaukee as he allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. That start came 10 days after he was rocked for seven runs and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings at Arizona.