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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Houston Astros (34-60) at Arizona Diamondbacks (45-48), 8:10 pm (ET) - MiamiHerald.com

Wade Miley will try to pitch himself into the Arizona Diamondbacks' record books this evening when he takes the hill for the second contest of a three-game series against the Houston Astros.

A 2012 All-Star, Miley is 10-5 with a 3.13 earned run average through 18 appearances this season, including 15 starts. He needs just one victory to set a Diamondbacks single-season rookie record, which he currently shares with three other players, including Josh Collmenter (2011), Oscar Villarreal (2003) and Brandon Webb (2003).

The 25-year-old matched the mark with a win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. He allowed three runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, fanning six without a walk in the 5-3 triumph. Miley snapped a two-start slide, one that saw him give up 12 runs over 10 13 frames.

Miley, 25, faces the Astros for the first time.

J.A. Happ was set to get the call for the Astros tonight, but he was part of a 10-player trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. Instead, Dallas Keuchel will be recalled from the minors for his second stint with the big-league club.

Keuchel was solid in a four-start stint with Houston from June 17-July 4. The lefty allowed a single run in each of his first three outings, going 1-0, before a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Independence Day. Keuchel was charged with four runs on seven hits and four walks over 5 2/3 frames.

The 24-year-old was then sent down when the Astros opted to return to a five- man rotation. He will next face the Diamondbacks for the first time in his young career.

The offenses were in the spotlight with last night's opener, which Arizona took by a 13-8 margin. Justin Upton paced a three RBI game with a two-run homer, while Stephen Drew drove in three runs. Miguel Montero added two hits and drove in a pair of runs for the D-Backs, who had lost five of seven coming in.

Trevor Cahill gave up four runs -- three earned -- on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings to get the win.

"I felt like I was making some good pitches tonight and putting them where I wanted them," said Cahill. "It helps to relax you out there when the guys put up the runs like they did tonight."

Scott Moore hit a three-run homer while Carlos Corporan hit his first career home run and drove in two for the Astros, who have lost four straight and eight of nine.

Bud Norris lost his seventh straight start as he was torched for nine runs on six hits with five walks and seven strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings.

"I don't know what to say," said Norris, "it wasn't pretty ... out there grinding and battling and trying to make pitches."

Arizona and Houston are meeting for the first time since the Diamondbacks took six of seven matchups a year ago. The D-backs own a 15-4 record in the past 19 matchups between the two ballclubs.

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