Houston @ Pittsburgh preview
PNC Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2010 ) Pittsburgh 0, Houston 2
The Houston Astros don’t have a lot of positives to look at as they start the second half. But at least they’re not the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Both the Astros and the Pirates will be looking to shake off rough first halves when the teams open a three-game series on Friday.
Houston was the worst team in baseball for much of the first two months, but thanks to a .500 record over the last six weeks and some occasional solid starting pitching, it now has the pleasure of looking down at other teams in the standings while playing out the string.
The Astros would be in even worse shape than their 36-53 record suggests were it not for Pittsburgh, which rolled over in two previous series between the teams this season, getting swept each time.
Houston has outscored the Pirates 33-13 in the six games, holding a plus-20 run differential over its fellow bottom dwellers and a minus-143 mark against the rest of baseball.
Pittsburgh managed just five runs in three games when the clubs met last week, getting shut out in the series finale as Roy Oswalt increased his trade value with a one-hit complete game. Lance Berkman homered twice in that contest and four times in the series.
Oswalt and Berkman may be the two most interesting players to watch on the Astros for the rest of the month as the club tries to decide whether to unload their veteran stars and rebuild. While ownership has always been reluctant to sell in Houston, both Oswalt and Berkman come with high price tags that make improving the rest of the team a difficult proposition.
The Pirates are deep into their rebuilding cycle for the second straight decade, though this time there appears to be a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
The wins might not be there, but Pittsburgh fans have been treated to a glimpse of the future recently with the promotions of highly touted prospects Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata, Neil Walker and Brad Lincoln to go along with budding star center fielder Andrew McCutchen.
Alvarez and Tabata have struggled since being recalled, though each has shown flashes of brilliance.
The youngsters will be going up against veteran right-hander Brett Myers of the Astros tonight. Myers has been one of the few bright spots for Houston thus far, pitching at least six innings in each of his starts this season - the only pitcher in the majors to do so. The innings-eater is coming off a win over the St. Louis Cardinals last weekend in which he went eight frames and allowed one run on four hits.
Myers held the Pirates to two runs on 11 hits in a win earlier this season but has had much less success away from Minute Maid Park, going 1-6 with a 4.37 ERA on the road versus a 5-0 mark with a 2.48 ERA at home. He is 4-4 with a 2.68 ERA in his career against Pittsburgh.
The Pirates will counter with Zach Duke, who will be coming off the disabled list after missing a month with a strained left elbow. The left-hander was awful before hitting the DL, going 0-4 with an 8.18 ERA in four starts, but appears ready to go again after two rehab appearances in the minors.
Duke is 2-4 with a 3.26 ERA in nine starts against Houston.