Houston @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 3, 2011 ) Cincinnati 4, Houston 5

THE STORY: The Cincinnati Reds’ hopes of a wining season took a big hit over the weekend as their pitching staff crumbled. The Houston Astros lost their chance at a winning season months ago and are focused entirely on the future with a lineup full of rookies when they open a three-game set at Cincinnati on Monday. Two of the Reds' starters - Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake - are likely done for the season, and they are also trying to work some rookies into their lineup.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSH (Houston), FSOH (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH J.A. Happ (6-15, 5.59 ERA) vs. Reds LH Dontrelle Willis (0-6, 5.04 ERA).

Happ is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA since returning from a demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The lefthander earned a victory over the Philadelphia Phillies last Tuesday, allowing one run in six innings. Happ has faced Cincinnati twice this season, going 1-1 while allowing 11 runs and 15 hits in 10 1/3 innings. He has had an especially hard time with Joey Votto, who is 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles in the two games. Willis, who was scratched Sunday due to back spasms, has yet to win in 12 starts since making it back to the major leagues. Things have been trending downward over the last four outings, as Willis has issued 18 walks in 24 innings. The last one was the worst, with the veteran lefthander getting knocked around for eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings to suffer a loss to the Chicago Cubs.

ABOUT THE ASTROS (52-100): Houston avoided its 101st loss Sunday just barely, improving to 18-28 in one-run games with a 3-2 victory at Chicago. The Astros, who had lost one-run decisions in each of the first two games of the series, appeared to let another lead slip away when Carlos Pena’s hit in the eighth was initially ruled a two-run homer. But replay reversed that decision to a double, leaving the Astros with a 3-2 lead and eventually winning score. Rookie J.D. Martinez pulled out of a slump with an RBI and a run in the contest while Clint Barmes - one of the few veterans left on the team - drove in a pair. Barmes is trying to earn himself a contract offer for next season, as Houston does not have an obvious prospect ready to take over at shortstop.

ABOUT THE REDS (74-79): Cincinnati had pulled back within two games of .500 during a three-game winning streak last week. But a weekend visit from the first-place Milwaukee Brewers resulted in a three-game sweep in which the Reds were outscored 24-5. Now Cincinnati needs to win eight of its remaining nine games to post its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1999-2000. The schedule works in the Reds’ favor, with the Astros followed by a six-game road trip through Pittsburgh and New York. Rookie Devin Mesoraco drove in Cincinnati’s run in Sunday’s 8-1 setback but has struggled to a 5-for-28 (.192) line through his first nine games in the majors.

FINAL PITCH: Cincinnati center fielder Drew Stubbs struck out for the 196th time this season in the third inning Sunday, snapping a tie with Adam Dunn to move into first place all-time on the Reds’ single-season list. Stubbs struck out again in the seventh for good measure.