(Sports Network) - Right-hander Brandon Backe tries to snap a recent skid tonight when the Houston Astros visit the Pittsburgh Pirates for game two of a three-game series at PNC Park.

Backe, a draft choice of the Tampa Bay Rays in 1998, improved his 2008 record to 4-5 with a 4-3 defeat of the Philadelphia Phillies on May 23 in Houston.

He's won just once in six starts since, however, including a 4-3 loss to the Pirates on June 5 in Pittsburgh that dropped his career mark against them to 4-2 in nine games - six starts. The 30-year- old allowed nine hits and four runs over six innings in that loss, walking two batters and striking out two more.

His last victory came June 22 at Tampa Bay, when he scattered six hits and allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings of a 3-2 defeat of the Rays.

Pittsburgh right-hander Ian Snell returns from a stint on the 15-day disabled list with a strained elbow.

Snell takes the spot of left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, who was sent to Triple-A after a recent stretch of ineffectiveness.

His last start came June 22 against Toronto, when he was roughed up for eight hits and four runs over four innings of Pittsburgh's 8-5 loss to the Blue Jays.

Lifetime against Houston, Snell is 2-3 in nine games - eight starts - with a 3.91 earned run average in 50 2/3 innings.

On Monday, Adam LaRoche finished 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks and a run batted in, as Pittsburgh slugged its way to a 10-7 win over Houston.

Ryan Doumit hit a two-run homer, Nate McLouth added a solo shot, and Xavier Nady had two hits and two RBI for the Pirates, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Pittsburgh was coming off a sweep at the hands of Milwaukee, and had scored just eight runs the entire series.

Denny Bautista (2-1) took the win after throwing 2 2/3 perfect innings in relief. He also got his first MLB hit and RBI. Bautista came on in relief of Phil Dumatrait, who was reinstated from the disabled list earlier Monday, and gave up seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 frames.

Runelvys Hernandez (0-3) lost his third straight start for the Astros, after he surrendered all 10 runs on 13 hits in four innings. He walked four and struck out three as Houston lost its second in a row and sixth out of seven.

Carlos Lee led the Astros' offense with a two-run homer and three RBI, while former Pirate Ty Wigginton went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Pittsburgh won two of three games versus Houston from June 3-5 at PNC Park. The Pirates are 13-6 in the last 19 matchups in this series, with a 7-3 mark as the host over that time. Houston went 13-3 against the Pirates in 2006.

Houston went 13-3 against the Pirates in 2006.