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(Sports Network) - Arizona already has a dominant 1-2 punch in its starting rotation, and that doesn't even include its five-time Cy Young Award winner.
Randy Johnson will make his fourth start of the season this afternoon for the Diamondbacks, who conclude a three-game set with the Houston Astros at Chase Field.
Johnson's season got off to a late start after he began the year on the disabled list due to back surgery, but the 6-foot-10 left-hander looks as if he is returning to form.
He earned his first win of the season on Friday after holding the Padres to just a run and three hits while walking two and striking out seven over six innings. Johnson, who is now 15 wins shy of 300 for his career and won four of his five Cy Young Awards with Arizona, has a 2.70 earned run average on the season to go along with a 1-1 mark.
The towering lefty is 4-0 in his career against Houston with a 2.50 ERA in five starts. He has struck out 53 Astros in 36 innings against them, but hasn't faced the Astros since 2002.
The Big Unit will try to give Arizona a win in its rubber match with Houston. The Diamondbacks won the series opener on Monday, but fell by a 6-4 score last night. Geoff Blum went 1-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored to lead the Astros.
Miguel Tejada went 2-for-4, scoring twice and knocking home a run for the Astros, who snapped a three-game skid. He has had success versus Johnson in his career, having hit .343 (12-for-35) with a homer and seven RBI against him.
Carlos Lee and J.R. Towles each added an RBI in the win, while Jose Valverde earned his fifth save of the year after yielding only one hit in the ninth.
Shawn Chacon, still in search of his first decision of the season, will pitch Houston's finale of an eight-game road trip today, a trek that has seen the club go 4-3 so far.
Chacon has gone at least six innings in all five of his starts this year to go along with a 2.45 ERA, but has nothing to show for it. The right-hander faced the Cardinals on Friday and yielded only two runs (1 earned) on five hits in seven innings. He also walked a season-high six batters.
He faced the Diamondbacks once in relief last season, taking a loss after giving up a run in two-thirds of an inning. Chacon is 2-6 with five saves and a 3.88 ERA in 18 games (8 starts) lifetime against Arizona.
Conor Jackson hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBI yesterday for Arizona, which saw its two-game win streak halted. Miguel Montero accounted for the other RBI, while Orlando Hudson and Justin Upton each had a pair of hits.
Even in the loss the Diamondbacks, who own the majors' best record at 19-8, found a positive to build on, as rookie Max Scherzer threw 4 1/3 innings of perfect relief in his major league debut. Scherzer, who also struck out seven, was Arizona's first-round pick in the 2006 draft.
The Diamondbacks won five of seven versus the Astros last year, including a four-game sweep at home in late May. They outscored Houston by a 35-12 margin in that set.
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