Houston @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 11, 2012 ) Atlanta 6, Houston 3

To say the road has been rough for Houston this season is an understatement. The team with baseball’s worst record comes into the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta with just 10 road victories this season. The Astros, losers of three in a row and 19 of their past 21, are 10-44 away from home this season - good for an abysmal .185 winning percentage. The Braves, who struggled at home for the first three months of the season, are now 30-25 at home. Atlanta has won 18 of its past 24 contests.

The Braves remain 2 1/2 games behind Washington in the NL East and took three of four against the Marlins, improving to 6-1 on their homestand. Tim Hudson takes the mound for Atlanta looking to continue his recent hot streak (7-2 in his past 10 starts) and remain dominant against the Astros (a career 1.44 ERA and 0.91 WHIP). Houston’s Armando Galarraga makes his second start of the season.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Houston (Houston), Peachtree TV (Atlanta).

PITCHING MATCHUP: Houston RH Armando Galarraga (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Atlanta RH Tim Hudson (10-4, 3.60).

Galarraga pitched well in his Houston debut Saturday, allowing five hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts against Pittsburgh. The right-hander, who won 13 games for Detroit in 2008, went 3-2 in nine starts with a 4.12 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He made eight starts for Arizona last season, going 3-4 with a 5.91 ERA.

Hudson has been outstanding in his past seven starts, going 6-1 with a 3.42 ERA. He won his third consecutive start Sunday, holding Philadelphia to two runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Hudson has walked just three hitters in 20 innings in his past three starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros 1B Brett Wallace homered twice against Milwaukee on Wednesday and is hitting .333 in 14 games.

2. Houston C Jason Castro is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Corpus Christi Friday. Castro has been out since July 8 with a right knee
injury.

3. Atlanta OF Jason Heyward had three hits Thursday, raising his average to .276. Heyward has four multi-hit games in his past six contests.