Astros (Clemens) at D-Backs (Vargas)
BigJoe
Banned
By Jimmy Sirody,<br><br>Arizona's starting pitchers have put together a stretch of 10 solid games <br>where they have gone 4-1 while allowing 16 earned runs in 66 innings. The <br>pitching renaissance has propelled the Diamondbacks into a tie with <br>slumping San Diego atop the wide-open National League West.<br>Arizona gets a small taste of home cooking when it plays six games this <br>week in the desert beginning Tuesday versus Houston. The brief homestand <br>comes in the midst of a stretch where the D-Backs play 18 of 24 on the <br>road <br><br>The Diamondbacks took three of four at Chicago last weekend to pull even <br>with a San Diego team that has squandered a comfortable division lead by <br>losing 12 of 13. Houston packs its bags after winning six of its last <br>seven at home to move one length ahead of Washington in the Wild Card race.<br><br>Roger Clemens (9-4, 1.46 ERA) starts Tuesday for the Astros hoping to <br>maintain his road dominance. The future Hall of Fame pitcher has <br>baseball?s best ERA and has won six of his last seven decisions. Though <br>Clemens has allowed just two earned runs on the road this season, Houston <br>is 4-5 in Clemens? nine road starts.<br><br>Claudio Vargas (4-5, 5.26 ERA) wouldn't appear to be much of a challenge <br>for Houston unless one reads between the lines. Vargas was a punching bag <br>while pitching for the Nationals, but he has turned his career around <br>since joining the Arizona rotation.<br><br>Vargas picked up his fourth win in his last outing at Milwaukee, working <br>six scoreless innings. He has turned in four straight quality starts with <br>a 1.79 ERA and yielded just two earned runs in his last two outings at The <br>BOB.<br><br>Arizona took two of three from Houston at Minute Maid Park in July, <br>handing Clemens one of his four losses this season. However, Clemens <br>allowed just three runs and six hits in six innings.<br><br>The Diamondbacks, just 25-28 at home, have come up short in 18 of 29 under <br>the lights versus right-handers. Houston has reversed course on the road, <br>cashing 11 of its last 16 after beginning the year 10-28.<br><br>The 'under' is 8-1 in the Astros? last nine trips to the post and Arizona <br>has been on the low side at a 6-2-1 clip in its last nine outings. Houston <br>and the Diamondbacks have zipped 'over' in six of the last eight meetings <br>in the desert. <br><br>Most offshore sports books opened Houston as a $1.70 road favorite, with <br>the total set at 7 ½ ?over? (minus $1.20).<br><br>Down to Houston -153
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