Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

(Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs' slumping offense figures to face another challenge this afternoon, when Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt takes the Wrigley Field mound against the Northsiders in the middle test of a three-game series.

Chicago has scored three runs or less in three of its first four games of the season and just 14 overall during its 1-3 start. The Cubs' bats couldn't get much going again in the opener of this weekend set, which the Astros won by a 4-3 score.

Houston snapped a 2-2 deadlock with two unearned runs off Chicago reliever Jon Lieber in the top of the eighth inning. Miguel Tejada knocked in the go-ahead score with a triple and later crossed the plate on Ty Wigginton's sacrifice fly for a two-run cushion.

Tejada finished 2-for-4 and J.R. Towles belted a two-run homer for the Astros, who opened their year by losing three of four games at San Diego.

Rookie Wesley Wright got his first major league win after getting the final out in the bottom of the seventh in relief of Astros starter Chris Sampson, who held the Cubs to two runs and six hits over 6 2/3 strong innings.

Jose Valverde picked up his first save in a Houston uniform despite allowing a solo home run to Mark DeRosa in the bottom of the ninth.

DeRosa and Kosuke Fukudome each collected two hits for the Cubs. Geovany Soto drove in the first two Chicago runs with a seventh-inning single that chased Sampson.

Coming off an unsuccessful season debut, Oswalt will take a second crack at obtaining his first victory of 2008 when he takes the hill this afternoon.

Oswalt wasn't at his best when he took on San Diego this past Monday, as the three-time All-Star was tagged for three runs and 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings in a 4-0 Opening Day loss to the Padres. He did record six strikeouts during the game, but generally labored through a 113-pitch outing.

The 30-year-old has also had his struggles pitching at Wrigley Field, where Oswalt has produced a 5.28 earned run average in 11 lifetime games (10 starts) despite posting a 5-4 record. In 24 overall career appearances (23 starts) against the Cubs, he is 11-10 with a 3.97 ERA.

Jason Marquis makes his first 2008 start today and begins a quest to show more consistency than he did last season. The right-hander amassed a solid 3.67 ERA in 18 starts prior to the All-Star break, but slipped to a 5.73 mark in the second half.

In 34 games (33 starts) over the course of the entire 2007 season, Marquis posted a 12-9 record with a 4.60 ERA.

The New York City native faced Houston four times last year and went 1-1 with a lackluster 6.10 ERA in those games. Marquis owns an 8-5 record and a 5.12 ERA in 23 career appearances against the Astros, 18 of which have been starts.

The Cubs won eight of 15 games versus the Astros last year, including six of nine at Wrigley Field.