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Brewers-Astros Preview

May 21, 2009 - 5:35 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Milwaukee (25-14) at Houston (17-20), 8:05 p.m. EDT

After watching Wandy Rodriguez continue to emerge as the Houston Astros' most reliable pitcher, Roy Oswalt returns to the mound looking to re-establish himself as the team's ace.

Oswalt looks for only his second win of the season on Thursday night when the Astros host the Milwaukee Brewers in the finale of their three-game series.

Oswalt (1-2, 4.50 ERA) lost his first two starts of 2009, allowing nine runs and 16 hits - including three home runs - with only six strikeouts in 13 innings. In seven starts since, the right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.89 ERA but has received one run of support or less in four of those contests.

The three-time All-Star's victory came on May 10, when he allowed four runs and six hits in six innings of a 12-5 win over San Diego. He followed that Saturday by failing to get a decision in a 5-4 road loss to the Chicago Cubs.

"I actually felt really well," said Oswalt, who's averaged 16 wins over his first eight seasons.

He started 2008 by losing his first three starts with a 9.00 ERA, but rebounded by going 4-0 with a 3.51 ERA in his next six outings.

Oswalt will try to begin a similar run following another impressive start from Rodriguez, who allowed one run and six hits in seven innings to lead Houston (18-20) to a 6-4 win on Wednesday. The Astros dropped Tuesday's series opener 4-2.

Rodriguez has emerged as the Astros' top starter, leading the team with five wins and a 1.83 ERA.

Oswalt, who has allowed a team-high 10 home runs, won both of his starts against the Brewers last year while posting a 2.77 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings.

He could get some help at the plate from Miguel Tejada, who's 17 for 40 (.425) with three homers and 15 RBIs over the last 11 games. The shortstop had two hits, including a homer, and drove in two on Wednesday as he raised his batting average to .323 - he hit .283 last year in his first season with Houston.

The loss halted the Brewers' (25-15) season-high seven-game winning streak. Now, Jeff Suppan (3-3, 4.63) will try to parlay his best performance of the season into his first win against Houston in over five years.

The right-hander scattered six hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win at St. Louis on Saturday.

"You can't pitch much better than Soup did," Brewers first-year manager Ken Macha said. "(On Saturday), he had to give up nothing for us to win, and that's what he did."

Suppan hasn't beaten the Astros since April 20, 2004 when he was with the Cardinals, going 0-4 with a 6.08 ERA in eight starts after that. He failed to end that streak on April 25, allowing four runs and four hits - two homers - with six strikeouts in six innings of a 9-8, 11-inning victory.

That's part of Suppan's solid stretch of six starts, which has seen him go 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA. He began 2009 by losing his first two starts, while surrendering 11 runs and eight hits with seven walks and three hit batters in 7 2-3 innings.