Houston @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2011 ) Houston 3, Cincinnati 2

THE STORY: The Cincinnati Reds’ hopes of a winning season - or even a .500 season - have taken a turn for the worse lately. It looked as though the schedule was playing to their favor with a host of sub-.500 teams to close out September, but the Reds have not been able to get their pitching sorted out long enough to make a run. The Houston Astros will take any win they can get with 100 losses already in the bank. The Astros will be looking to extend host Cincinnati’s misery when they send Bud Norris to the mound Tuesday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Houston, FS Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Homer Bailey (8-7, 4.42 ERA) vs. Astros RH Bud Norris (6-10, 3.68).

Bailey allowed a pair of two-run homers in the first inning on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs but settled down to retire 12 of the final 13 batters he faced and left with the lead after six innings. A blown save cost him the win, but Bailey has put together a string of solid outings over the last month. The 25-year-old won at Houston on Aug. 2, surrendering one run in eight innings. He has never lost to the Astros in four starts. Norris has not won in his last five turns despite three outings of seven innings and two earned runs or fewer in that span. The burly 26-year-old has done enough this season to secure himself a place near the top of Houston’s 2012 rotation and leads the staff with 173 strikeouts. Norris has had trouble with the Reds in the past, going 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in three career starts against the division rivals.

ABOUT THE ASTROS (53-100): With nine games left, Houston has just about clinched the worst record in baseball. Minnesota (59-93) is the lone team remaining that can catch the Astros for next season’s No. 1 draft pick. But the mood around Houston is more positive than one would assume as several youngsters are getting a chance to play and manager Brad Mills has the team battling to the end. The Astros trailed 2-0 for most of the night Monday but eventually fought to tie it and took the lead when Matt Downs hit his ninth home run in the eighth inning.

ABOUT THE REDS (74-80): Cincinnati has had to mix and match with its starting rotation a lot lately because of injury and overwork. Mike Leake was shut down last week after reaching his innings limit and Johnny Cueto was lost possibly for the rest of the season with a strained right lat Wednesday. Matt Maloney was scheduled to take Cueto’s spot on Monday but was pushed up to Sunday to cover for Dontrelle Willis, who experienced back spasms before the game. Unable to go again on Monday, Willis was passed over for lefthander Travis Wood. While Maloney was crushed in a loss to Milwaukee, Wood tossed five scoreless innings before being lifted. Unfortunately the bullpen could not hold a 2-0 lead and the Reds went on to suffer their fourth straight loss 3-2. Cincinnati has to win its last eight games to finish with a winning record.

FINAL PITCH: Brandon Phillips has been on a home run binge lately with five in the last eight games. He hit his 17th of the season in the first inning Monday. Phillips, who was a 30-30 player in 2007 and 20-20 the following two years, has only 11 steals in 19 attempts this season but is enjoying his highest batting average (.294) ever.