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(Sports Network) - Micah Owings tries to stay unbeaten on the season this evening when the Arizona Diamondbacks open a three-game series with the New York Mets at Chase Field.

Owings, though, helped the D'Backs win on Wednesday with his bat, as he belted a pinch-hit home run in Arizona's 8-7 win over the Houston Astros. Eric Byrnes' run-scoring single in the sixth inning proved to be the difference in that one, while Conor Jackson added a home run as well for the Diamondbacks, who have won three of four games and finished April with 19 wins, a franchise record for the month.

Randy Johnson was touched for six runs on nine hits in just four innings of work but picked up a no-decision when the Arizona offense bailed him out. Brandon Medders (1-0) earned his first win of the season after giving up an unearned run in two innings of relief.

Owings' homer was his fifth in 79 career at-bats and raised his average to .421 on the season. As good as he has been at the plate, however, he has been just as good on the hill, posting a 4-0 mark to go along with a 3.48 ERA.

Owings had his worst performance of the season, though, in his last trip to the hill on Saturday against the San Diego Padres, surrendering five runs and five hits in five innings of his team's 8-7 loss.

He also received a no-decision in his only other start against the Mets, allowing three runs and five hits in six innings.

New York, meanwhile, will hope to continue its recent success in Arizona, where it is an impressive 11-1 since the start of the 2005 season. It has also won 16 of the last 21 overall matchups in the series.

The Mets, though, enter this series on the heels of their worst loss of the season on Wednesday, a 13-1 drubbing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Shea Stadium. Ryan Church drove in the lone run for New York, which committed three errors and managed just two hits in halting its three-game win streak.

Former Pirate Oliver Perez (2-2) suffered his second straight loss and was charged with seven runs -- two earned -- on just two hits, but walked five and struck out two.

Hoping to get the Mets back on track tonight will be right-hander John Maine, who is 2-2 with a 3.58 ERA. Maine picked up the win in his last start on Saturday against Atlanta, as he allowed a pair of runs and three hits in five innings.

Maine is 1-1 in two starts against the D'Backs with a 2.25 ERA.

New York's offense could get a boost tonight with the return of outfielder Moises Alou, who has been sidelined all season recovering from hernia surgery. He also suffered an ankle injury, while rehabbing from the hernia operation.

Last season, Alou batted .341 with 13 homers and 49 runs batted in, but he only played 87 games because of injuries.