St. Louis @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 10, 2010 ) St. Louis 1, Houston 4
Given their horrendous start to the season, it would have been easy to write-off the Houston Astros. And while they haven’t exactly lit the league on fire, the Astros have regrouped nicely and are putting together a respectable campaign.
Houston, which had a pair of eight-game losing streaks in the season’s first month of play, will try to carry its current momentum into the All-Star break as the club closes out the first half against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Minute Maid Park.
The two squads have split the first two games of the series, most recently the Astros’ 4-1 victory on Saturday, but its Houston which has been hot while St. Louis is in the midst of a funk.
The Astros (36-52) are on a mini roll having won four of their past five.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals (46-41) have dropped five of seven overall to fall two games behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central after winning the division a year ago.
Not coincidentally, St. Louis will be heavily represented in Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Anaheim as catcher Yadier Molina, first baseman Albert Pujols, outfielder Matt Holliday and pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright will take part in the festivities.
The Astros will be represented by speedy outfielder Michael Bourn.
Houston is hoping that Wandy Rodriguez has put his personal early-season struggles behind him as he toes the rubber in Sunday’s finale. The left-hander began the year by winning just three of 14 starts.
However, Rodriguez (6-5, 5.00) has turned things around of late by winning three straight starts and accumulating a 0.90 ERA in that span. He has spilt his two starts this season against the Cardinals and has not fared exceptionally well when facing them by going 4-10 with a 4.19 ERA in 16 career starts.
St. Louis will turn to Blake Hawksworth (2-5, 4.88 ERA), who will be making his fourth start of the season after pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old won his first start but followed it up with a loss and a no-decision. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any start and has 13 strikeouts against six walks in that span.
Jeff Keppinger homered and Pedro Feliz drove in two runs to supply the offense for Houston in Saturday’s win to back up eight outstanding innings by starter Brett Myers.
Rookie Jon Jay currently has a league-high 10-game hitting streak going for the Cardinals.