Pittsburgh @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 3, Houston 6

The Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates may be part of history Thursday, in a moment that has little to do with the game's outcome.

Houston fans could be seeing Roy Oswalt take the mound for the last time at Minute Maid Park when he makes the start against Pittsburgh.

The 33-year-old right-hander requested a trade earlier this season from the team with which he's spent his entire career. With the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline apporoaching, time is running out on the Astros.

Oswalt will be making his last start before the All-Star break. Houston plays its first six games after the break on the road. There's no telling if Oswalt, who has a career record of 142-80, will still be in an Astros uniform when the team returns home on July 23.

So a game between a fifth-place team and a sixth-place team could turn out to be the end of an era in Houston.

Oswalt's won-loss record is by no means indicative of how he has pitched in his 17 starts this season. He has allowed 92 hits in 111 innings, has held opponents to a .225 average, has struck out 104 and has walked 31.

Oswalt has shown why he's a top-of-the-rotation starter a contending team would want for the stretch drive and the playoffs. He has pitched at least seven innings 12 times and gone at least six innings 15 times.

Oswalt's last start against San Diego sums up how little support he's received from his offense. He pitched seven shutout innings, but the Astros couldn't score while he was in the game, or after he left for that matter.

The Astros have won all five games against the Pirates this season and will look for a sweep of the three-game set Thursday. Pittsburgh starter Ross Ohlendorf will try to prevent that from happening.

The right-hander finally picked up his first win of the season Friday when he pitched seven shutout innings against Philadelphia. He struck out a season-high eight, walked one and held the Phillies to five hits.

Ohlendorf's victory was in stark contrast to his first 11 starts. He had pitched seven innings just once and six or fewer innings eight times.

Ohlendorf will hope for better success than Daniel McCutchen had in Wednesday night's start. McCutchen gave up home runs to Jeff Keppinger, Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman. Hunter Pence added a homer off D.J. Carrasco in Houston's 6-3 win.

The Astros have outscored the Pirates 31-13 in the five games they've played this season.