The shaky Brian Moehler will try to lift the Astros out of their funk when they begin a three-game series Friday night at PNC Park, but he’ll have to find a way to solve a Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup that’s hit him hard recently.
Pittsburgh lost two of three to the Astros from April 13-16 in its first home series. The game the Pirates won came when Moehler (1-3, 8.31 ERA) was on the hill.
The veteran right-hander was chased after allowing seven hits and five runs in 2 1-3 innings April 13.
After missing three starts with a right knee sprain, Moehler pitched well in his first three outings after coming off the disabled list. On Saturday against Texas, though, he gave up nine hits—three homers—and six runs in a 6-3 loss.
Moehler is 0-2 with a 27.00 ERA in his last two starts at PNC Park. First baseman Adam LaRoche is hitting .391 (9 for 32) with two homers and eight RBIs against Moehler.
The Pirates come home after splitting their 10-game trip following a 3-0 start. Pittsburgh lost four of six in Chicago - two to the White Sox and a pair against the Cubs - including a 5-2 defeat Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
Ross Ohlendorf (5-4, 4.20) will get the ball for the Pirates hoping for more offensive support than he got Saturday against the White Sox. Ohlendorf allowed four runs - three earned - in a career-high 7 2-3 innings of a 4-0 loss.
The right-hander is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in three starts against Houston.
Embattled Astros manager Cecil Cooper's job is suddenly the talk in Houston, but he appears safe for now.
"He's only been the manager for a year and a half," Astros owner Drayton McLane told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday. "I think that's somewhat premature (to discuss firing Cooper)."
Cooper is 119-118 as manager of the Astros, including a 18-27 mark this year that has the club in last place in the National League Central.
On the strength of the best NL record after the All-Star break (42-22), Cooper led the Astros to an 86-75 record for a third-place finish in the Central last year in his first full season as a manager.
"Firing the manager is not in the cards," McLane said.
NOTES, QUOTES
--GM Ed Wade doesn't believe in offering or receiving votes of confidence.
"I've been a GM now for 10 years. This is my 10th year," Wade told the Houston Chronicle amid talk of manager Cecil Cooper's job security. "I don't get into votes of confidence. I don't think there's any value to it."
He added. "In 10 years as GM I never asked for votes of confidence and I've never given votes of confidences. It's just media speak and doesn't lend anything to the situation."
--Hitting coach Sean Berry, who left the team to have a cancerous kidney removed, might rejoin the club Monday for the start of a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies. He will be examined early that morning at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, where he had the surgery.
--Manager Cecil Cooper made it clear that RHP Felipe Paulino wasn't pitching Wednesday to keep his job in the majors.
"Well, this won't be his last one," he said. "I'll put it that way. I would think he's going to get this one, another one and hopefully he's going to get some after that. But it definitely won't be his last one."
So, does that mean Wednesday wasn't an audition?
"It's not," Cooper said. "It's not."
Paulino allowed five runs (four earned) in six innings against the Reds.
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- For the first time in the Astros' history, the Astros batted out of order to lead off a game May 20 when Cecil Cooper told his players one lineup and then sent in a different batting order on the official lineup card turned over to the plate umpire and Milwaukee manager Ken Macha.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It didn't make us laugh, but it really surprised us because we had never seen that. How can you believe that can happen? That's weird." -- LHP Wandy Rodriguez, describing the Astros' move after Cecil Cooper's blunder with the lineup card resulted in CF Michael Bourn leading off out of order Wednesday.
ROSTER REPORT
--SS Miguel Tejada, on a team-high 11-game hitting streak, is hitting .346 with five home runs and 26 RBIs.
He also is tied with the Tampa Bay Rays' Jason Bartlett for the most three-hit games in baseball with 10. By comparison, the Colorado Rockies as a team have had three-hit games by a player only 12 times. The Cincinnati Reds, who just swept a three-game series over the Astros, have combined for three-hit games by a player only 15 times.
--RHP Geoff Geary, who is eligible to come off the disabled list Friday, will throw a simulated game that day for the first time since he was hurt. If he passes that test, he'll likely be scheduled for a rehab assignment next week.
--3B Geoff Blum likely will miss his fourth consecutive game because of a strained left hamstring he suffered Sunday.
--2B Kaz Matsui, who has missed two consecutive games with a strained right hamstring, might be ready to start Friday. Including the team's day off Thursday, he would have had three consecutive days to heal the hamstring.
MEDICAL WATCH:
2B Kaz Matsui (strained right hamstring) did not play May 26-27.
3B Geoff Blum (strained left hamstring) did not play May 25-27.
RHP Roy Oswalt (bruised right hand) was hurt May 26. He is expected to make his June 1 start.
RHP Geoff Geary (right biceps tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list May 14. He began throwing on flat ground May 19, and he threw his first bullpen session May 25.
RHP Jose Valverde (strained right calf) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 27. He had fluid drained from the calf April 30 and May 1, and he might be out until early June.
RHP Doug Brocail (torn left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list May 4. He is out at least a month, and if he ultimately requires surgery, he would miss the rest of the season.
INF Aaron Boone (open-heart surgery on March 26) went on the 15-day disabled list March 27, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 10. He was uncertain whether he'd resume his career.