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Astros hope to break trend versus Cards

Sat 30th, August 2008

(Sports Network) - The Astros have enjoyed opening sets with the Cardinals this year. However, the club likely wishes it wouldn't stick around for more than one game.

Houston will try to defeat St. Louis in consecutive games for the first time this year when the two clubs play the middle portion of a three-game series tonight at Minute Maid Park.

The Astros and Cardinals began their fifth series of the season on Friday, and for the fifth time this year Houston won the opener. However, in each of the previous four sets St. Louis has rebounded to win the next two games.

Houston won yesterday's opener thanks to Lance Berkman, who homered off Russ Springer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift his team to a 3-2 victory. David Newhan accounted for the rest of the offense with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give Houston its third straight win.

The victory pushed the Astros record in August to an outstanding 19-9, but it may be too little, too late, as the club trails the National League wild card- leading Brewers by 9 1/2 games.

St. Louis fell 4 1/2 games back of Milwaukee with the loss. Ryan Ludwick and Yadier Molina each drove in a run for the Cardinals, who have dropped three of their last five games.

The club wasted a solid effort by starter Kyle Lohse, who has struggled in the second half but allowed just two runs in eight innings on Friday.

The Cardinals will try to give Braden Looper a little more run support tonight, though they may not have to. Looper has gone seven innings in each of his last six starts, yielding no more than three runs in each outing.

The righty is 3-2 in that span after defeating Atlanta on Sunday. Looper gave up three runs on six hits in improving to 12-10 with a 3.94 ERA this year.

He is 1-2 in four starts against Houston this year and 7-5 with four saves and a 3.11 ERA in 38 games, including eight starts, lifetime versus the Astros.

One day after having his contract extended through the 2009 season, Brain Moehler starts for Houston. The righty had a five-decision win streak halted on Monday versus the Mets after allowing four runs on six hits over 5 1/3 innings, but is still a solid 9-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 20 starts and five relief outings this year.

He has won his lone career start against the Cardinals, defeating them on June 6 of this year with seven shutout innings of two-hit ball.

Outfielder Darin Erstad also had his contract extended on Friday. He is batting .292 with three homers and 26 RBI in 119 games this year.