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(Sports Network) - Greg Maddux begins his quest for 350 career wins tonight, when the San Diego Padres play the third test of a four-game series with the Houston Astros at Petco Park.

A veteran of 22 seasons, Maddux went 14-11 with a 4.14 earned run average over 34 starts in his first year with San Diego, running his career win total to 347. With three wins this year, the right-hander will become just the ninth pitcher in MLB history to reach the 350-win plateau, and he can match Roger Clemens (354) for eighth on the all-time wins list with another seven victories.

Maddux, 41, went 1-1 in two starts versus the Astros last year and is 27-14 with a 2.76 ERA in 49 career starts against them.

The ageless righty will try to follow up what has been a pair of solid opening-season wins by the Padres' two aces, Jake Peavy and Chris Young. Peavy threw seven shutout innings in Monday's 4-0 victory, while Young countered by yielding just one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings of Tuesday's 2-1 victory.

Trevor Hoffman yielded just one hit in his one inning of work to earn the save.

San Diego's Scott Hairston hit a two-run homer, also scoring Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Khalil Greene went 3-for-4 with a double in the victory.

Michael Bourn had the lone RBI and stole his third base of the season for the Astros. Hunter Pence had a pair of hits, but left four runners on base in defeat.

Astros starter Brandon Backe (0-1) surrendered two runs on five hits in five innings en route to the loss.

Houston has just a run and 10 hits in its first two games. The club lost its first four games to start last season.

Wandy Rodriguez, 29, made 31 starts for the Astros last year and will take the starting assignment tonight for the club. The left-hander went just 9-13 with a 4.58 ERA in 2007 and has struggled in just a handful of appearances against the Padres.

In three games (2 starts) against San Diego, Rodriguez has allowed 11 runs in 11 2/3 innings (an 8.49 ERA) en route to a 1-2 mark. However, he did beat San Diego last year behind seven innings of one-run ball.

San Diego has now won three straight and seven of its last 11 against Houston, having taken three of the last five at home over that span.