(My Sportsbook) - Mike Hampton will make his first home start of the season in an Astros uniform tonight, as Houston concludes a four-game set with the Cincinnati Reds at Minute Maid Park.

The 36-year-old Hampton has now come full circle with the Astros. He pitched with the club from 1994-1999, going 22-4 with a 2.90 earned run average in his final season in Houston.

He then moved on to the New York Mets, Colorado and Atlanta, never winning more than 15 games in a season before getting derailed due to a host of injuries.

Hampton rejoined the Astros prior to this season and is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA through two starts. The left-hander lost in St. Louis on April 10 before getting a win in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Hampton tossed six shutout innings in that one, scattering four runs and a walk while striking out eight.

He is 6-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 23 games (18 starts) lifetime versus the Reds.

Bronson Arroyo counters for the Reds looking for his first 3-0 start since starting 2006 -- his first with Cincinnati -- with five straight winning decisions.

The 32-year-old right-hander got a win over the Mets on April 9 despite allowing five runs in six innings of work. He pitched much better on Tuesday versus Milwaukee, allowing a run on four hits and four walks over 6 1/3 frames to lower his ERA from 7.50 to 4.38.

Arroyo went just 1-3 with a 6.12 ERA in four starts versus the Astros last year and is 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA against them in 20 lifetime games, 14 of those starts.

The Reds offense was lifted by a pitcher on Sunday, as hurler Micah Owings had a pinch-hit, two-run double that highlighted a three-run seventh inning and rallied Cincinnati to a 4-2 win.

Willy Taveras also drove in a run for the Reds, who have won two of three so far in the series. Edinson Volquez (2-1) got the victory after going six innings and yielding a run on four hits while fanning seven and walking five. Francisco Cordero was credited with his fourth save despite giving up a run in the ninth.

Miguel Tejada went 3-for-5 to lead Houston and drove in the 1,100th run of his career. Carlos Lee had a sac fly for the Astros and Michael Bourn scored twice in the loss.

Astros reliever Geoff Geary (0-1) blew the save and was saddled with the loss after giving up two runs -- one earned -- on two hits along with a costly fielding error in the seventh.

Houston dominated the Reds last season, winning 12 of the 15 matchups, including wins in six of the nine games contested at Minute Maid Park.