Diamondbacks  2    Astros  4

Arizona Diamondbacks (54-69) at Houston Astros (60-62), 7:05 p.m.

Sports Network | August 22, 2009

(Sports Network) - Right now, the Arizona Diamondbacks look like the epitome of a struggling ball club. The team will try to bring its longest losing streak of the season to a close tonight in the second of three straight games versus the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Arizona has dropped a season-high six straight games and can't seem to catch a break. With their starters having posted an earned run average over nine in their previous five games, Yusmeiro Petit allowed just a run over six innings in Friday's opener.

Unfortunately, Houston starter Roy Oswalt hurled seven shutout frames before LaTroy Hawkins threw a scoreless eighth and closer Jose Valverde finished off the 1-0 win with his third save in as many nights and 19th on the season.

"Roy pitched terrific. That's what we needed," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said.

Houston almost wasted Oswalt's effort, as Jeff Keppinger drove in the game's only run with a double in the fifth inning that scored Hunter Pence. The Astros have won three straight and four of five and will be seeking to win four games in a row for the first time since July 20-24.

"I thought [Petit] matched Oswalt pitch for pitch," D-Backs manager A.J. Hinch said.

The Diamondbacks failed to back their starter, posting only four hits. Arizona is batting just .177 over its losing streak, while its frustrated batters haven't drawn a walk in 132 straight plate appearances, a club record.

Right-hander Max Scherzer starts for the Diamondbacks tonight and is coming off his first loss since July 3. Scherzer had been 2-0 over his previous six outings before getting a setback in Atlanta on Monday, as the 25-year-old yielded nine runs over five innings, with just three of those runs earned.

He is 7-7 with a 4.00 earned run average on the season and will try to recapture the magic he had when he last faced the Astros. Making his major league debut on April 29 of last year, Scherzer made a name for himself by striking out seven Houston hitters in 4 1/3 perfect innings of relief.

Astros' starter Brian Moehler will try to snap a three-start losing streak when he toes the rubber tonight.

The right-hander, who is 0-4 over his last five outings, faced the Brewers on Saturday and gave up three runs on 10 hits over five innings of a 6-2 loss. He fell to 7-9 with a 5.40 ERA on the season.

Moehler might have a hard time rebounding tonight, as he is 2-6 with a 6.44 ERA in 11 home starts this year.

The 37-year-old did best the Diamondbacks on June 14, yielding three runs over six innings, and is 2-1 with a 5.53 ERA lifetime versus them.

Houston won two of three meetings with Arizona from June 12-14 at Chase Field.