(My Sportsbook) - Veteran right-hander Roy Oswalt hopes for better luck in his second outing of the 2009 season today when the Houston Astros visit Busch Stadium for the middle test of a three-game weekend set with the St. Louis Cardinals.

A winner of 129 major-league games in a career that began in 2001, Oswalt went seven innings and allowed seven hits and three runs in his season debut on Monday but still dropped a 4-2 home decision to the Chicago Cubs.

Oswalt struck out two and walked one while throwing 93 pitches in the start, but allowed a pair of home runs.

He won 17 games for Houston last season while posting a career-high 3.86 earned run average in 208 2/3 innings. The 17 wins were his best since 2005, when he reached 20 for the second time.

Oswalt faced St. Louis twice in 2008, going 0-1 with a no-decision while giving up 10 hits and six runs in 13 innings. However, he has pitched to a 1.83 ERA in his five starts in the new Busch Stadium.

Lanky right-hander Adam Wainwright makes his second start of 2009 for the Cardinals, following up on a 5 1/3-inning stint on Monday against Pittsburgh, during which he allowed four hits and two runs while getting a no-decision in the team's 6-4 loss.

Wainwright walked five and struck out seven while throwing 94 pitches against the Pirates.

A relief ace during the Cardinals' surprise run to the 2006 World Series title, Wainwright transitioned to the starting rotation in 2007 and hasn't looked back, going 25-15 in 52 starts over two years.

He was limited to 20 outings by injury last season and threw just 132 innings, compared to 202 in his initial try as a starter.

Wainwright was perfect in three starts against the Astros in 2008, winning all three while permitting just 15 hits and six runs in 22 innings of work. He is 5-0 lifetime against the Astros with a 2.32 ERA in 12 games (six starts).

In the opener of this set on Friday, Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI, as St. Louis pulled out a 5-3 win. Skip Schumaker collected three hits and drove in a run for the Cardinals, who split a four-game home series with Pittsburgh to open the 2009 campaign.

Joel Pineiro (1-0) gave up two runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings for the win.

Back in Houston for his second stint with the Astros, Mike Hampton (0-1) gave up three runs on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts over five innings to take the loss.

Carlos Lee finished 3-for-4 with a solo shot for the Houston, which has dropped three of four to start the season.

St. Louis was 8-7 versus the Astros last season.