Houston, TX (My Sportsbook) - The Houston Astros continue their nine-game homestand Sunday night as they play the rubber match of their three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies at Minute Maid Park.

On Saturday the Astros dropped the second game of the series, as Placido Polanco finished 3-for-5 with a homer and three runs scored to lead Philadelphia to a 9-4 . Jim Thome also homered for the Phillies, who won for just the second time in their last six games.

Jimmy Rollins contributed a pair of RBI in the win.

Morgan Ensberg ended 3-for-3 and walked twice to reach base five times for Houston, which lost for just the second time in seven games. The Astros had won eight straight home games before Saturday, and are trying to win four straight home series for the first time all season.

Brandon Duckworth, just recalled from Triple-A Scranton, started for the Phillies and picked up the win. Duckworth (3-1) went five innings, allowing three runs on five hits. The righthander struck out three and walked four.

A win today by the Phillies would give them 25 for the season. Philadelphia did not claim its 25th victory of the year last season until the second week in June.

Philadelphia will send righthander Kevin Millwood to the hill tonight. Millwood, 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA, has not lost since April 17, but has failed to register a decision in two of his last three starts. In his last outing the 28-year-old hurler allowed just one run on six hits and struck out 11 over seven innings, but did not factor in the decision of his team's 7-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Millwood has made six career starts against the Astros, going 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA.

Houston will counter with 25-year-old righthander Tim Redding, who is 3-2 on the season with a 3.32 ERA. The Astros have won Redding's last five starts, but Redding is without a decision in his last two. In his last start Redding allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings, as his team claimed a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Redding has made two career starts against the Phillies in his career, and is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

On the milestone watch, Houston closer Billy Wagner is one save away from tying Mitch Williams for fifth place on the all-time saves list for lefthanders.

Phillies reliever Rheal Cormier owns a scoreless streak of 19 1/3 innings, the longest current mark among NL relievers.

Saturday's game featured six double plays turned by the Astros, the most for them since they had six against Montreal on May 8, 1988.

The Astros have won five of their last six at home over the Phillies, outscoring Philadelphia 43-23 in that span.