CHICAGO - The Houston Astros will be hoping that the
wind will be flying out of Wrigley Field on Tuesday night when
they take on the Chicago Cubs in the opener of a three-game
series.
Beginning with a 1-0 home loss to the Cubs on July 5, the Astros
have dropped five of their last eight games. They have scored
21 runs in the three wins and 17 runs in the five defeats.
Houston split a four-game series in Florida as Chris Burke had
three hits and Lance Berkman drove in two runs in a 9-3 loss on
Sunday. The Astros, however, will be entering a ballpark that
saw the New York Mets hit three home runs and score a
club-record 11 runs in the top of the sixth inning en route to
beating the Cubs, 13-7.
If the wind is flying out, Houston will be hoping Roy Oswalt
(6-6, 3.05 ERA) can keep the Cubs from hitting home runs.
Oswalt allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings here
June 14 to improve to 10-7 against the Cubs and 5-2 at Wrigley.
But since that victory, Oswalt is 0-3 despite a 2.72 ERA in six
games. Oswalt has allowed three runs or fewer in his last five
starts, including Thursday's 5-1 win in Florida in which he
allowed one run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Cubs are in the midst of a frustrating season, especially at
home, where they have posted the worst record in baseball at
15-27. The embarrassing sixth inning Sunday vs. the Mets sent
Chicago to its 15th home loss in 18 games.
Carlos Marmol (2-3, 4.23) will make his seventh start for
Chicago. Marmol will be looking to turn in a second straight
solid start after allowing just one run and three hits in six
innings at Milwaukee on July 8.
Marmol has faced the Astros twice in Houston. On July 3, he
allowed four runs and five hits with seven walks in 4 1/3
innings.