(Best E Casino) - For the fourth time in this season's second half, Houston right-hander Roy Oswalt gets to feel very good about himself.

The 31-year-old Mississippi native will face his all-time favorite foe tonight when the Astros close out a three-game series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds at Minute Maid Park.

Oswalt is a ridiculous 22-1 in 27 games - 25 starts - for his career against the Reds, including three victories in three outings since July 28 alone.

He improved to 8-8 overall with a 5-4 defeat of Cincinnati in that first post All-Star Game start and has since won eight of 10 decisions, including subsequent victories against the Reds on Aug. 7 in Cincinnati and Aug. 27 in Houston.

In the three starts, Oswalt has allowed 21 hits and six runs in 19 innings.

Lifetime against them, he's posted a 2.51 earned run average in 176 innings, walking 41 batters and striking out 148.

For Cincinnati, Dominican rookie Johnny Cueto tries to reach double-digit wins in his initial major-league season.

The 22-year-old right-hander earned his ninth win of the season in his most recent start, scattering six hits and allowing two runs in six innings of a 4-3 defeat of Milwaukee on September 20.

He's won just twice in his last 10 starts, dropping four decisions though his ERA has tumbled from 5.02 on July 28 to 4.62 after downing the Brewers.

Cueto was on the short end of the July 28 loss to Houston, allowing eight hits and five runs in six innings.

He's faced them three times this season, dropping a pair of decisions while posting a 6.50 ERA in 18 innings.

On Wednesday, Randy Wolf was solid on the hill and Lance Berkman clubbed his 29th homer of the year, as the Astros blanked the Reds, 5-0.

Houston pulled within 3 1/2 games of the wild card lead, shared by Milwaukee and the New York Mets.

Wolf (12-12) got the win after tossing 6 2/3 innings and giving up eight hits and seven strikeouts with two walks. Berkman finished with two RBI for the Astros, who have won three of their last five games. Humberto Quintero drove in two runs and Hunter Pence drove in one in the middle contest of the three- game set.

Ramon Ramirez (1-1), making his fifth start in the majors, was saddled with the loss after yielding two runs on four hits over five innings. Jay Bruce had two hits for the Reds, who have just three losses over their last 11 tilts.

Houston has won 10 of its 13 matchups with the Reds this season.