Astros, Brewers to begin NL Central clash

Baseball Betting Lines

04/24/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bottom-feeders in the NL Central Division get together this evening in Houston, where the Astros will entertain the rival Milwaukee Brewers for the first of three straight games at Minute Maid Park.

Milwaukee enters Friday's opener of the series fresh off a dazzling performance by starting pitcher Dave Bush, who hurled 7 1/3 innings of no-hit ball in Thursday's 6-1 decision over the Philadelphia Phillies. He lost the bid on Matt Stairs' pinch-hit homer to right with one out in the eighth.

Bush (1-0) gave up two hits in 7 2/3 innings of work, while striking out four batters and walking three. Mitch Stetter pitched the rest of the way to preserve the victory and help Milwaukee to its second straight win and third in four tries.

Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer and Bill Hall added a solo shot for the Brewers, who got two hits and three RBI out of Prince Fielder. Milwaukee is now 3-3 on a nine-game road trip.

Braun is batting .327 with 11 homers and 30 runs batted in through 25 games against Houston.

Yovani Gallardo gets the nod for the Brewers on Friday and is 1-1 with a 4.58 earned run average in three starts this season. Gallardo posted a no-decision his previous time out against the New York Mets, allowing just five hits over six shutout innings of his team's 1-0 loss. Gallardo, who split his first two starts of the season, struck out seven and walked two batters.

The righty owns a perfect 2-0 mark and a 0.00 ERA through 15 innings pitched in two career starts against Houston.

Houston will continue its 10-game homestand tonight and had its bid for a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers stopped with Thursday's 2-0 setback in the series finale.

Miguel Tejada finished 2-for-4, while Darin Erstad and Michael Bourn collected the other two hits for the Astros, who got a strong showing from starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez (1-2) surrendered one run on five hits in six frames with a pair of walks and four K's to suffer the loss.

The Astros are 3-4 so far on the residency and will send Felipe Paulino to the mound Friday for his second start of the season. Paulino took the hill on Sunday versus Cincinnati and did not record a decision despite tossing six scoreless innings of three-hit ball in a 4-2 loss.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 12.86 ERA in two career appearances (1 start) against Milwaukee.

The Brewers went 8-7 against the Astros last season, but compiled a 2-4 ledger at Minute Maid Park. These two teams have split the last six matchups in the series.

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