Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - Nick Neugebauer aims for his first win since April this evening, when the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Houston Astros in the rubber match of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Neugebauer, who was considered the Brewers' best prospect by Baseball America at the start of the year, suffered the loss in his last trip to the hill after giving up four runs -- one earned -- on six hits in 3 2/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. He walked four and fanned one, while yielding one homer.

The loss was the righthander's fifth in a row, spanning seven starts. However, his five-game slide began back on April 27. Shortly thereafter, Neugebauer was sent to the disabled list with tendinitis in his shoulder. Since returning on September 1, he is 0-3 with a 3.12 earned run average in four tries.

This will be Neugebauer's first career appearance versus Houston. The 22-year- old hurler is aiming for his first victory since April 21.

Peter Munro counters for the hosts. Munro was tagged with the loss in his last trip to the rubber, permitting five runs on nine hits over four innings versus the Cardinals. He walked three and struck out five.

The setback was the righthander's third in a row, covering four outings. Over that time, Munro has surrendered a total of 14 runs -- 10 earned -- on 24 hits in 19 frames to watch his earned run average rise from 2.76 to 3.25. This will be the 27-year-old hurler's 11th appearance -- eighth start -- of the year at home, where he is 4-2 with a 2.55 ERA.

In a pair of starts versus Milwaukee this season, Munro is 1-0 with a 3.00 earned run average. He had never faced the Brewers prior to this year.

After dropping the opener of this set by an 8-6 score, the Brewers rebounded to earn a 3-1 victory on Tuesday. Matt Stairs belted a two-run homer and Wayne Franklin worked six strong innings to help Milwaukee snap a four-game slide.

Franklin, who began this season with Houston's Triple-A New Orleans affiliate, surrendered just one run on four hits to defeat the Astros for the second time in five days. He walked four and struck out four. Mike DeJean tossed a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to earn his 26th save of the season.

Jose Hernandez went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the winning effort. Hernandez did not whiff and remains two strikeouts away from setting the all-time, single- season record. Bobby Bonds established the mark in 1970, when he struck out 189 times.

Roy Oswalt suffered the loss after surrendering three runs on six hits in eight innings. He walked four and fanned nine. Oswalt was again denied the opportunity of becoming the seventh hurler in Astros' history, and the first since 1999, to notch 20 victories.

Jeff Bagwell was 1-for-3 with a run scored for the Astros, who have lost four of their last six. Bagwell is eight runs scored, three RBI and one walk away from an unprecedented seventh consecutive campaign with at least 30 home runs, 100 walks, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored. The slugging first baseman is also one homer away from passing Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda and Tony Perez for 46th place on baseball's all-time home run list. Cepeda and Perez each swatted 379 round-trippers.

Houston leads the season series by a 9-8 margin, including five victories in eight tries at home. It is 36-24 in this matchup since the start of the 1999 campaign.

The Brewers are tied with the San Diego Padres for the worst road record in the National League at 24-52, while the Astros bring a 46-34 home mark into this contest.