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Astros-Reds Preview

May 27, 2009 - 5:31 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Houston (18-25) at Cincinnati (24-20), 7:10 p.m. EDT

Over the past few seasons, the Cincinnati Reds had virtually no luck against the Houston Astros when they came to Great American Ball Park. That is no longer the case.

The surprising Reds look to win their fourth in a row and sweep a home series over the slumping Astros for the first time in five years Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game set.

In Tuesday's 6-4 win over Houston (18-26), Joey Votto's two-run homer in the seventh inning broke a 4-all tie, lifting the Reds (25-20) to their third straight win. Cincinnati, which had dropped six of its previous eight, has not won four consecutive games since Sept. 13-17.

Before a 3-0 win over the Astros on April 29, the Reds had lost 11 straight and 17 of 18 to Houston at Great American Ball Park. The Reds, who are 1 1/2 games behind NL Central leaders Milwaukee and St. Louis, have not swept a series over the Astros at home since a four-game set May 21-24, 2004.

"I look at every guy in the clubhouse and I feel like everyone is contributing," Votto told the Reds' official Web site. "It's probably the first team I've been on that really felt like that. It feels like everyone is working together."

Votto, who has missed nine games over the past three weeks because of dizziness caused by an inner-ear infection, has three home runs in his last two starts and five in his last 21 at-bats.

"(Tuesday's) really the first game I've felt pretty good," said Votto, who is second in the NL with a .364 average.

He's 1 for 9 with a homer lifetime versus Felipe Paulino (1-3, 6.90 ERA), who starts Wednesday for Houston.

Bronson Arroyo (6-3, 5.79) takes the ball for the Reds looking to win back-to-back starts for the first time since opening the season with three consecutive victories.

Arroyo gave up one run, five hits and two walks in eight innings of a 3-1 win over Cleveland on Friday, his first home victory since April 9. The right-hander had been tagged for 18 runs over 6 2-3 innings in losing his previous two starts at Great American Ball Park.

He beat Houston on April 20, allowing three runs and nine hits in seven innings of a 4-3 win. He's 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA in four starts against the Astros in Cincinnati.

The last-place Astros have lost a season-high six straight after winning seven of 10. This is their longest skid since losing eight in a row June 11-19.

"I think I'm doing everything I can - changing the lineup, moving people around, that's all you can do," Houston manager Cecil Cooper told the team's official Web site. "That's all you can do - you change the lineup, you try to motivate them every day. That's all you can do."

Paulino allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings of Friday's 6-5, 10-inning loss to Texas after yielding eight runs in four innings of a 12-1 loss at Colorado on May 12.

Paulino has been at his best this season against Cincinnati, but he doesn't have a victory to show for it. In two starts versus the Reds, Paulino has given up two runs and nine hits over 11 2-3 innings, but has been backed by one run of support.

A lack of offensive help has been an ongoing problem for Paulino this season. In five starts, he's received three total runs of support.