(Best E Casino) - The hurricane-addled Houston Astros continue an on-the- road recovery tonight when they open a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

The Astros' red-hot second half brought them within striking distance of a National League Wild Card berth before a five-game losing streak coincided with the damaging arrival of Hurricane Ike earlier this week.

The team was forced to flee its home at Minute Maid Park to play a key two- game series with the Chicago Cubs in Milwaukee and dropped both before a subsequent three-game midweek sweep at the hands of the Florida Marlins in Miami.

Veteran left-hander Randy Wolf takes the mound for the Astros against the Pirates, making his 11th start since being acquired in a midseason trade from the San Diego Padres.

Wolf is 4-2 with a complete game and a 4.26 earned run average in 10 starts for Houston after struggling to a 6-10 mark in 21 outings with the Padres through late July.

He'd gone four starts without a loss before September 14, when he dropped a 5-0 decision to the Cubs after allowing six hits and four earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

He's had little success on the road in either uniform in 2008, going 2-7 in 15 starts with a 6.13 ERA.

Pittsburgh counters with 26-year-old Ian Snell, who's gone two straight without a win after a modest three-start unbeaten streak that stretched from late August into September.

The Delaware native topped St. Louis and Cincinnati and got a no-decision against the Cubs between August 19 and September 2, allowing 16 hits and six earned runs over 17 innings of work.

He's returned to earth with a loss and another no-decision in two starts since while being tagged for 15 hits and eight earned runs in just 10 innings.

Lifetime against Houston, Snell is 2-4 in 12 games - 11 starts - with a 4.41 ERA in 63 1/3 innings.

On Thursday in Florida, John Baker finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and scored twice, as the streaking Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the scuffling Astros with an 8-1 victory from Dolphin Stadium.

Alberto Arias (1-1) absorbed the loss for Houston after he allowed two runs on five hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. Chris Sampson and Wesley Wright each yielded two runs in relief. The Astros were limited to just four hits.

In Pittsburgh, James Loney had the game-winning RBI single in the 12th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers downed the Pirates, 4-3, in the finale of a four- game set from PNC Park.

Nyjer Morgan had two hits, scored two runs and swiped a pair of bases while Nate McLouth, Andy LaRoche and Luis Cruz each had an RBI for the Pirates, who dropped three of four in the series.

Craig Hansen (1-4) walked the bases loaded in the 12th with one down and T.J. Beam entered to face Loney, who sliced an RBI single to left for a 4-3 lead. Kemp popped out and DeWitt went down on strikes to end the inning.

Pittsburgh has won seven of its 13 matchups with the Astros this season.