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Astros wrap set with Rockies

Sun 7th, September 2008

(Sports Network) - Still in the hunt for the National League wild card, the Astros wasted little time getting back in the win column. Houston will shoot for a victory today in the rubber match of a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Houston ripped off eight wins in a row for the second time in a month before Friday's loss to Colorado. However, behind an outstanding effort from ace Roy Oswalt, the Astros posted a 2-0 victory in Saturday's test.

The win kept Houston within seven games of the wild-card leading Brewers with 20 games left to play. The Astros do not play Milwaukee again this season.

Oswalt gave up just one hit, two walks and hit two batters while striking out six for the Astros. Hunter Pence provided the offense with a two-run home run.

However, outfielder Ty Wigginton left yesterday's game due to a left groin strain after grounding out in the first inning. He's listed as day-to-day.

That's not a good sign for Houston, which sends out a starter today that left his last start early due to injury.

Wandy Rodriguez toes the rubber for Houston and he left his outing on Sunday versus the Cardinals after 5 2/3 innings because of a strained right oblique. He still got the win, holding St. Louis without a run on seven hits.

Rodriguez is 8-6 with a 3.76 earned run average this year and 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA in six career starts versus Colorado. The 29-year-old southpaw got a no- decision against the Rockies on April 19, yielding two runs (1 earned) on five hits over four innings.

Jorge De La Rosa counters for the Rockies and is 3-1 in his last four starts with a 1.80 ERA. He has won back-to-back starts, with both coming versus the Giants, who he defeated on Monday with seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and one walk while fanning six.

De La Rosa, a 27-year-old lefty, is 8-7 with a 5.23 ERA in 24 games (19 starts) this season. He has never started versus Houston, but has allowed four runs in 6 2/3 total innings of relief against the club.

He'll follow Jeff Francis, who pitched well yesterday in defeat. Francis gave up the two runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts for the Rockies, who have dropped four of their last seven. Brad Hawpe got the lone hit, a single in the fifth, for Colorado.

The setback was a blow to Colorado's playoff hopes, as it fell 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West.

Colorado won two of three when these two clubs met in Houston from April 18-20.