--RHP Brian Moehler, who threw five scoreless innings in a spot start to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, will start Wednesday night against the San Francisco Giants.

"I think he earned the right to do that," manager Cecil Cooper said of Moehler. "He earned that opportunity. Let me say that was pretty impressive what he did last night. I have to say that. That was real impressive."

Moehler, the Astros' long reliever, had not started since September 2006 and had not earned a victory as a starter since June 17, 2006.

"My role's (as a) long guy and spot starter, so I'll just prepare for it the next four days just like I was a starter," he said.

Moehler says he wasn't concerned about his pitch count Friday.

"I don't worry about those things, but it's good to know every time I throw I build up more consistency and arm strength," he said. "I'll try to push it a little farther next time."

--SS Miguel Tejada was drilled by a pitch for the second straight game. A day after Chad Billingsley hit him in the left wrist, Tejada was hit in the right wrist by Hiroki Kuroda in the fourth inning Sunday.

--RHP Chris Sampson may have saved his job Saturday night when he held the Dodgers to three hits and one walk with three strikeouts over seven scoreless innings for only his third quality start over seven outings this season. He was coming off two miserable starts in which he failed to go longer than 4 1/3 innings.

"That's the guy. Yes, sir, that's the guy," manager Cecil Cooper said of Sampson. "Real efficient, particularly early. Down in the strike zone, mixes his pitches in and out, changeup, throwing his little two-seamer, getting the ball to sink and run. That's the Chris Sampson we've been looking for. He was very, very strong tonight and just in command throughout."

--LHP Wesley Wright, a former Dodgers prospect who was taken in the Rule 5 draft last December, retired the Dodgers in order in the eighth in his first appearance at Dodger Stadium or against the team that drafted him in 2003. Until last year, he had been in the farm system with a few of the men he faced Saturday.

--RHP Oscar Villarreal took over in the ninth inning Saturday and induced a fielder's choice grounder to third from Matt Kemp and then a double play grounder back to the mound from Jeff Kent to complete the shutout. Villarreal has been trying to regain manager Cecil Cooper's confidence.

--LHP Wandy Rodriguez, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left groin muscle, continued making progress Saturday while throwing a pain-free bullpen session.

"It didn't bother me," he said. "On Tuesday I'll throw a simulated game. Then we'll see what they do with me. I think I'm fine."

--Manager Cecil Cooper, his coaching staff and assistant general manager David Gottfried visited for 90 minutes Saturday with children at Baseball's Urban Youth Academy at Compton Community College.

"I'm glad I got a chance to do that," Cooper said. "It was real nice. A lot of young kids, a lot of young inner-city kids that had a chance to come and work out and get instructions. They play games there.

"We just talked to them a little bit. (For) some of the smaller kids, probably nine or 10, (the Astros) signed autographs, watched them hit in the cage and took pictures with them and told them about being good students and things like that."

--RHP Shawn Chacon, who gave up only two runs over six strong innings, tied the major league record with his eighth consecutive no-decision to start the season.

"Today was a case of us facing a pretty doggone good pitcher and the offense picking me up late," he said. "The last couple of times I think the offense picked me up. We've been behind and they've come back late and we've scored some runs and we ended up winning the game late.

"It's pretty weird, and I think, I definitely want to get a win before I get a loss. I'll keep taking them as long as we're winning."

--With a fly out to center in the first inning and a fielder's choice grounder to short in the fourth inning Sunday, Lance Berkman made outs in consecutive at-bats in a game for the first time since May 2, a span of eight games.

--BY THE NUMBERS: 8 -- Lance Berkman tied the franchise record with eight consecutive hits. He started with a hit in the 12th inning on May 4 and hit a home run in the fourth inning May 7.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Every day it's something. For the last 10 days it's been something happening to him. It's just been incredible. I don't know how to explain it. I was never in a streak like that. Never, ever." -- Manager Cecil Cooper.

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