GDT:4/8/07 Cards @ Astros 2:05PM ET

[cabby7588]

Kip Wells vs. Jason Jennings. No lineups yet.

The Houston Astros were bound to win at some point. Four straight losses, however, were more than enough.
Houston hopes to build on its first victory of the season Sunday when it completes a three-game series against the struggling St. Louis Cardinals at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros (1-4) became the last major league team to break into the win column Saturday, when ace Roy Oswalt pitched a five-hitter in a 5-1 victory over the Cardinals.
Houston, which avoided its worst start since opening the 1983 season 0-9, has won six of its last seven games against St. Louis (1-4).
"Anytime you lose four straight, whether it be at the beginning of the season or in the middle of the season, you start to get kind of a bad feeling and it's good to erase that and turn the page," Houston's Lance Berkman said. "Now we can just focus on trying to win this series and go on the road and have a good road trip."
Besides the dominant performance from Oswalt, the Astros had to be pleased that their main power sources -- Berkman and Carlos Lee -- both hit their first home runs of the season.
Lee, signed to a six-year, $100 million contract in the offseason to boost an offense that ranked last in the National League in 2006, had been 3-for-15 with no extra-base hits in his first four games.
"It feels good just to get a win,' Lee said. "We pitched well, we hit well. That's what it's going to take. The home run ... it doesn't matter if you hit a home run and you lose. It doesn't mean anything."
Berkman's homer was his 100th at Minute Maid Park. Only one other player has 100 or more homers at the Astros' ballpark which opened in 2000 -- Jeff Bagwell, who holds the record with 108.
Jason Jennings (0-0, 1.50 ERA) impressed in his Astros debut Tuesday, limiting the Pirates to one run and five hits over six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. He left with a 2-1 lead but failed to pick up a win after Houston's bullpen allowed two runs in the eighth inning.
Jennings, who spent his first six seasons with Colorado, is 3-3 with a 3.52 ERA in seven career starts against the Cardinals.
St. Louis' start is its worst after five games since it opened the 1997 season with six straight losses.
A listless offense has been the biggest culprit. The Cardinals have scored a major league-low seven runs in five games while batting .192 (29-for-151).
Albert Pujols went hitless in four at-bats Saturday and is 1-for-17 with no RBIs this season. Pujols, though, is 7-for-21 with two homers and three RBIs against Jennings.
Kip Wells (0-1, 3.00), a Houston native and former college teammate of Jennings at Baylor, starts for the Cardinals. Wells didn't pitch badly in a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets on Tuesday, allowing four runs -- two earned -- and five hits in six innings, but his defense committed two errors behind him.
"For the most part I liked the way I threw," Wells said. "But there are always things I'm in control of and can do better, and that's what I'll work on."
Wells, who pitched for Pittsburgh from 2002-06, is 3-6 with a 5.03 ERA in 13 career starts against the Astros.

[haltz]

This thread is east coast-biased.

Here's some matchup stuff and media links:

Pitching matchup

STL: RHP Kip Wells (0-1, 3.00 ERA)
Wells' Cardinals debut showed both what the Cards like about the right-hander and what they'd like for him to improve on. He showed good stuff and worked out of trouble for the most part, allowing two earned runs in six innings. But he was inefficient, often falling behind in counts and needing 108 pitches to get through six innings. A more aggressive Wells should be a more effective Wells, and St. Louis expects to see just that.

HOU: RHP Jason Jennings (0-0, 1.50 ERA)
Jennings faced the Cardinals once last year, allowing one run in a complete-game effort while taking the loss. The right-hander is 3-3 with a 3.52 ERA over seven games in his career vs. the Cardinals, allowing 18 runs over 46 innings. Jennings was denied a win in his first outing with the Astros on Tuesday, despite pitching masterfully. He struck out seven Pirates hitters over six frames, holding the Bucs to one run. He left with a 2-1 lead, which the bullpen later surrendered.

Players to watch
Albert Pujols' career batting average against Jennings is .333 (7-for-21). The Cardinals first baseman has hit two home runs and has a 1.010 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) against the Houston right-hander.

On the Internet
• MLB.TV
• Gameday Audio
• Advanced Gameday; 2006 Gameday
• Official game notes

On television
• FSN Midwest

On radio
• 550 KTRS

Up next
• Monday: Cardinals (RHP Braden Looper, 0-1, 4.50) at Pittsburgh (RHP Ian Snell, 0-0, 3.00), 12:35 p.m. CT
• Tuesday: Cardinals (RHP Chris Carpenter 0-1, 7.50) at Pittsburgh (LHP Tom Gorzelanny 1-0, 3.60), 6:05 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Cardinals (RHP Adam Wainwright, 1-0, 1.29) at Pittsburgh (LHP Paul Maholm, 0-1, 7.20), 11:35 a.m. CT

[jdk82]

Kind of interesting that Wells and Jennings both went to Baylor and Wells is from Houston.

Lets hope he pitches well in front of his family and friends

[stlouie_lipp]

A win today is a series win. Win the next few series and the Mets sweep will be a distant memorey.

[Phyrkrakr]

Cards:
Eckstein, SS
Duncan, LF
Pujols, 1B
Rolen, 3B
Edmonds, CF
Wilson, RF
Molina, C
Kennedy, 2B
Wells, P

Astros:
Biggio, 2B
Ensberg, 3B
Berkman, 1B
Lee, LF
Scott, RF
Loretta, SS
Burke, CF
Ausmus, C
Jennings, P

Gameday

[planet planet]

Cards:
Eckstein, SS
Duncan, LF
Pujols, 1B
Rolen, 3B
Edmonds, CF
Wilson, RF
Molina, C
Kennedy, 2B
Wells, P

Astros:
Biggio, 2B
Ensberg, 3B
Berkman, 1B
Lee, LF
Scott, RF
Loretta, SS
Burke, CF
Ausmus, C
Jennings, P

Gameday

Hmm, has Loretta played SS in the last few years? For an aging 2B who's lost a step, seems like a suspect move. Is Everett hurt?

[Bo Hart]

This reminds me of those huge losing streaks last season when our offense was as anemic as humanly possible.

Man this sucks.

[Michael]

AP looked bad there.

[Balltilyafall4]

AP looked bad there.

Three fastballs (from what Milo Hamilton said) and no contact..

That IS bad..

[jdk82]

That ump needs to calm down.