(Best E Casino) - Ace right-hander Carlos Zambrano returns from a successful appearance in the All-Star Game tonight when the Chicago Cubs visit Minute Maid Park for the second of three games with the Houston Astros.

Zambrano, who was 10-3 with a 2.84 earned run average in 18 starts before the break, tossed two scoreless innings for the National League in the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday night in New York.

He won his last two starts in the first half as well, including a masterful eight-inning performance against Cincinnati on July 9, in which he allowed one hit and one run over eight innings of a 5-1 Chicago victory.

Zambrano ran his career record against Houston to 11-6 on April 6 in Chicago, allowing seven hits and two runs over seven innings of the Cubs' 3-2 victory.

In the game, he struck out seven without walking a batter.

Houston lefty Wandy Rodriguez faces the Cubs for the ninth time in his career tonight. The 29-year-old is 3-4 in eight previous meetings, allowing 48 hits and 24 runs in 48 innings.

He was 2-0 in his last five starts before the All-Star break, including a 6-4 win at Washington on July 12, in which he gave up eight hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Rodriguez is 2-2 in seven home starts this season.

On Friday, Miguel Tejada and Hunter Pence had back-to-back doubles in the ninth, allowing the Astros to edge the Cubs, 2-1.

Pence and Tejada had three hits each while Carlos Lee tied the game with a solo home run in the seventh for Houston, which has won three straight. Geoff Geary (2-1) tossed two perfect innings of relief to earn the win.

Jim Edmonds provided the lone run for Chicago with a home run in the fifth as the Cubs dropped their second straight game.

Bob Howry (3-3) who came in to finish off the eighth, allowed a lead-off ground-rule double to Tejada in the ninth and Pence ripped a double to center field plating the winning run.

Brian Moehler kept the Astros in the game with seven superb innings of one-run ball on four hits and a walk in taking the no-decision. Ted Lilly equaled Moehler's effort for Chicago with seven frames of one-run ball on six hits and two walks. Lilly fanned six but suffered the same fate as Moehler in the no- decision.

Houston leads the head-to-head series, 19-18, since the start of the 2006 season, including a 4-3 edge in seven encounters so far this year.