Los Angeles @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 9, 2010 ) LA Dodgers 2, Houston 3
When the Houston Astros finally decided to trade Roy Oswalt, they were hoping they would get a solid pitcher back in return. J.A. Happ has been much, much more.
Happ looks to lead the Astros to a fourth straight victory tonight when they host the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers in the second game of their four-game series.
Houston rallied from a deficit in the opener on Thursday as rookie Chris Johnson belted a three-run homer off Ted Lilly in the sixth inning en route to a 3-2 triumph. The blast helped the Astros halt a seven-game losing streak against Lilly, who has lost two in a row after winning his first five decisions as a Dodger.
The victory was Houston's fifth straight at home and 14th in 18 games overall. Happ will look to extend his team's streak as well as one of his own.
The left-hander has won each of his last three starts and four of five. He led the Astros to a 3-2 triumph at Arizona on Sunday, allowing two runs and six hits over seven innings.
Since being acquired from Philadelphia, Happ has gone 5-2 with a 3.21 ERA in eight outings. At Minute Maid Park, the 27-year old has been even better, yielding just three earned runs in 27 1/3 innings over four starts for a 3-0 record and 0.99 ERA.
Happ will be making his first career start against Los Angeles. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last six outings. In 11 starts in 2010, he has given up two earned runs or fewer eight times and only once allowed more than four earned runs.
Losers of six in a row and 10 of 12, the Dodgers will counter with Hiroki Kuroda. The 35-year old has lost four of his last six decisions but has pitched at least seven innings in six consecutive starts.
Kuroda suffered the loss in a 3-0 setback against San Francisco on Sunday, yielding three runs and six hits in eight innings. He has worked eight frames four times this year, winning each of the first three outings.
In four career meetings with the Astros, Kuroda owns a 2-0 record and 2.55 ERA. On May 18, he gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings en route to a 7-3 victory.
Kuroda will be making his 13th road start of 2010. The right-hander is 5-7 with a 3.69 ERA away from home thus far.
Los Angeles is 0-4 on its season-high 10-game road trip.