To say the road has been rough for Houston this season is an understatement. The team with baseball’s worst record comes into the opener of a three-game series at Atlanta with just 10 road victories this season. The Houston Astros, losers of three in a row and 19 of their past 21, are 10-44 away from home this season – good for an abysmal .185 winning percentage. The Braves, who struggled at home for the first three months of the season, are now 30-25 at home. Atlanta has won 18 of its past 24 contests.

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The Atlanta Braves remain 2 1/2 games behind Washington in the NL East and took three of four against the Marlins, improving to 6-1 on their homestand. Tim Hudson takes the mound for Atlanta looking to continue his recent hot streak (7-2 in his past 10 starts) and remain dominant against the Astros (a career 1.44 ERA and 0.91 WHIP). Houston’s Armando Galarraga makes his second start of the season.

Astros Braves Betting

When: 7:35 PM ET, Friday, August 3, 2012
Where: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Houston (Houston), Peachtree TV (Atlanta).

PITCHING MATCHUP: Houston RH Armando Galarraga (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Atlanta RH Tim Hudson (10-4, 3.60).

Galarraga pitched well in his Houston debut Saturday, allowing five hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts against Pittsburgh. The right-hander, who won 13 games for Detroit in 2008, went 3-2 in nine starts with a 4.12 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma City. He made eight starts for Arizona last season, going 3-4 with a 5.91 ERA.

Hudson has been outstanding in his past seven starts, going 6-1 with a 3.42 ERA. He won his third consecutive start Sunday, holding Philadelphia to two runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Hudson has walked just three hitters in 20 innings in his past three starts.

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1. Astros 1B Brett Wallace homered twice against Milwaukee on Wednesday and is hitting .333 in 14 games.

2. Houston C Jason Castro is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Corpus Christi Friday. Castro has been out since July 8 with a right knee
injury.

3. Atlanta OF Jason Heyward had three hits Thursday, raising his average to .276. Heyward has four multi-hit games in his past six contests.