--INF Jason Smith went 0-for-2 Tuesday, extending his season-long slump to 0-for-23. He hit for SS Miguel Tejada in the seventh, but Tejada was fine physically.
"Just trying to get him a couple at-bats," manager Cecil Cooper said of Smith. --SS Miguel Tejada, who has started all of the Astros' games this season, will likely be out of the starting lineup during this six-game trip through Denver and Chicago.
It's unclear, however, if INF Jason Smith will get a start. Jeff Keppinger, who has shared time at third base with Geoff Blum, is most likely to start at short when Tejada rests.
"I need to do it here probably because I want to get the other guy a few at-bats," manager Cecil Cooper said of resting Tejada. "That's why I need to do it. In particular Keppinger because he's playing primarily against lefties. He has not played short for us. This guy can play short. He's played more third than he's played anything. We need to get him at short."
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- RHP Roy Oswalt, who was 10-2 after the All-Star break last year, earned his first victory of the season May 10.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Obviously I have to be worried. We're in May. We're almost on May 15 and we're still struggling. This guy (Lance Berkman) is one of the best hitters in the game. And, yeah, I am a little worried about him." -- Manager Cecil Cooper, after dropping 1B Lance Berkman to fifth in the lineup.
