(Best E Casino) - Veteran lefty Mike Hampton takes the hill this afternoon when the Atlanta Braves close their season at Minute Maid Park in the finale of a three-game series with the Houston Astros.

A 37-year-old Floridian, Hampton was out of baseball for the entirety of 2006 and 2007 with injuries, then came back in July and has made 12 starts with the Braves to end the 2008 schedule.

He evened his record at 3-3 in his last outing, scattering six hits and allowing two runs in six innings of a 3-2 win at National League East Division champion Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Hampton is perfect in six career starts against Houston, going 3-3 with a 4.28 earned run average in 40 innings.

For the Astros, southpaw Wandy Rodriguez looks for a nine-win season for the third straight time.

A 29-year-old veteran of 110 major-league appearances, Rodriguez was a nine- game winner in both 2006 and 2007 while making a combined 61 appearances - 55 starts.

He's been exclusively a starter this season and earned his eighth win in start No. 22 on Aug. 31 in St. Louis.

Lifetime against Atlanta, he is 1-1 in four games - three starts - with an 8.44 ERA in 16 innings.

On Saturday, Josh Anderson hit two home runs as Atlanta downed the Astros, 11-5. Jeff Francoeur went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored while Brandon Jones added three RBI for the Braves, who have won three of their last four.

James Parr started on the mound, but lasted just 4 1/3 innings as he gave up five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits with a pair of walks. Vladimir Nunez (1-2) got his first win since 2004 for throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Hunter Pence hit a solo home run while Humberto Quintero went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Astros, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Brandon Backe (9-14) was shelled for eight runs on eight hits in just 1 1/3 innings of work, which was his shortest outing of the season.

Atlanta won two of three games against Houston at home from July 4-6.