(Best E Casino) - Canadian-born right-hander Ryan Dempster returns to the scene of great 2008 success tonight when the first-place
Chicago Cubs host the
Houston Astros in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs enter the series with a five-game bulge over Milwaukee in the National League's Central.
Dempster, a 31-year-old product of British Columbia, is 10-1 in 13 home starts this season and has posted a 2.72 earned run average in 86 innings of work.
He took to the road to face the Astros on July 20 and gave one of his best efforts of the year, scattering six hits over eight scoreless innings while winning, 9-0.
Overall, he's 4-8 with 16 saves against Houston in 39 career appearances - 13 starts.
He's unbeaten in three starts since a July 13 loss to San Francisco, allowing 13 hits and two runs in 21 innings.
For the Astros, veteran Brian Moehler can stretch an unbeaten streak to five games.
He came within an out of a complete game in his last outing in July 29, allowing seven hits and two runs in 8 2/3 innings of a 6-2 defeat of the Cincinnati Reds.
He's gone 2-0 and given up 27 hits and 12 earned runs in 24 innings since his last loss, on July 4 at Atlanta.
Moehler got a no-decision in Houston's 2-1 win over the Cubs on July 18 after allowing four hits and a run in seven innings.
He's 1-1 in eight games - five starts - against Chicago with a 3.60 ERA in 35 innings.
On Sunday in Houston, Randy Wolf and four relievers combined on a nine-hit shutout, and the Astros completed a three-game sweep of the suddenly sputtering New York Mets with a 4-0 win at Minute Maid Park.
Wolf (7-10) allowed six hits in five innings while striking out seven and walking three for the Astros, winners in six of seven overall. Chris Sampson tossed a pair of scoreless innings in relief.
Ty Wigginton homered, doubled and scored twice for the Astros, while Hunter Pence and Darin Erstad each went 2-for-3 with a run batted in and a run scored.
In Chicago, Reed Johnson hit the go-ahead, two-run homer and Alfonso Soriano followed with a solo shot in the eighth, as the Cubs rallied for an 8-5 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the finale of a three-game set.
Geovany Soto was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored while Soriano's home run was one of three hits on the day. Johnson's pinch-hit two-run homer was the difference maker for Chicago, which has won seven of eight overall.
Chad Gaudin (8-4) picked up the win despite allowing a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth.
Houston has won five of its nine matchups with the Cubs this season.
