Last Updated on June 4, 2008 1:29 am by Anthony Rome
Duke Takes Hill
Facing the Pittsburgh Pirates might be what Roy Oswalt needs to get back on track.
The Houston ace looks to avoid a third straight losing decision as the Astros continue their road series with the Pirates on Wednesday.
Oddsmakers from Sportsbook.com have made Houston -120 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 68% of bets for this game have been placed on Houston -120 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
For the first time since 2005, Oswalt (4-5, 5.45 ERA) enters June with a losing record after taking the loss in a 3-2 defeat at St. Louis on Thursday. While he allowed just three runs over seven innings, Oswalt dropped to 0-2 with a 6.63 ERA in his last three starts.
Oswalt, who’s won 14 or more games in each of the last four seasons, went 5-6 through the first two months of 2005.
Though the right-hander’s ERA is almost two runs higher than his career-high 3.49 from 2004 when he went 20-10, Oswalt isn’t about to panic.
"I haven’t really got into a rhythm yet where I can carry it through four or five games in a row, (but) it’ll come around," he told the Astros’ official Web site.
That could start Wednesday against Pittsburgh. Oswalt is 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his last eight starts versus the Pirates, a club he is 11-5 with a 2.52 ERA lifetime against in 21 starts.
The Astros (31-28) hope Oswalt can follow up a strong start from Wandy Rodriguez, who allowed five hits in six innings Monday as Houston won the series opener 2-0 to snap a five-game losing streak.
Kaz Matsui had four hits, while Lance Berkman and Miguel Tejada each drove in a run for Houston, which continues to struggle to score after plating just eight runs in its last six contests.
"We needed one of those. It’s been a rough trip for us," said Houston manager Cecil Cooper, whose team improved to 2-5 on a nine-game road trip. "When things aren’t going well, what you need more than anything else is someone to step up and give you a great pitching performance."
Berkman, the NL player of the month in May, went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He is batting .382 on the season and is 5-for-15 with four RBIs against Pittsburgh’s scheduled Wednesday starter Zach Duke.
Like Oswalt, Duke (2-4, 4.41) will try to avoid a third consecutive losing decision. Duke was solid in his last outing, allowing two earned runs and five hits in six innings of a 5-4 loss at St. Louis on Friday.
"I’m glad I kept us in the game,” Duke said. "At the same time, I didn’t pitch well enough to win.”
While the left-hander hopes for a better effort Wednesday, he’ll again try for his first win versus Houston. Duke is 0-3 with a 4.17 ERA in six career starts against the Astros.
On Monday, Jack Wilson had two of the five hits for the Pirates (27-31), who were shut out for the first time in 2008. He is batting .306 (11-for-36) on the season since coming off the disabled list on May 27 from a strained left calf.
Wilson is 7-for-15 in his last four contests and is a .361 (22-for-61) hitter against Oswalt.
Did you like this article? Subscribe to our Baseball news feed for the fastest updates delivered right to you – Click here to Subscribe