GAME: Milwaukee Brewers (1-1) at Houston Astros (1-1).

TIME: Thursday, 4:05 p.m. EST.

The Houston Astros look to win their season-opening series with the Milwaukee Brewers when the teams meet at Astros Field.

Daryle Ward and Brad Ausmus both homered and drove in four runs Wednesday as the Astros routed the Brewers 15-2.

Ward, who got a starting job in the outfield when Moises Alou signed with the Chicago Cubs in the offseason, tied a career high with three hits. He had a three-run homer during an eight-run fourth inning, and later doubled home a run.

Roy Oswalt (1-0) went six innings and allowed two runs and four hits, striking out six.

Veteran starter Shane Renyolds will take the mound for the Astros in the series finale.

Reynolds' last victory came against the Cardinals in the last game of the 2001 season, and gave the Astros the NL Central title. It was also Reynolds' 100th career win.

Jamey Wright takes the mound for the Brewers on Thursday, looking to establish himself and set the tone for the entire staff.

Milwaukee pitching coach Dave Stewart was hired in the offseason to shape and improve the durability of the young rotation, as only Wright has pitched more than 200 innings in any season during his career (206 1-3 for Colorado in 1998).

"I'd like to see those three guys (Ben Sheets, Wright and Glendon Rusch) pitch 200 innings and make 35 starts," said Stewart, who surpassed both figures in five consecutive seasons with Oakland (1987-92). "If I can get 200-plus innings out of them it will take some pressure off the bullpen."

Stewart believes that by challenging the starters to achieve certain goals, he can improve a unit that has been less than durable.

From 1998-02, the Brewers' staff amassed no more than two complete games each season, the lowest team total in baseball history.

"It seems like it's always one bad inning that blows up on us," Wright said. "I'm as guilty of that as anybody. We've got to try to get through those rough spots and cut down on those big innings. That can be the difference between getting knocked out in the fifth or making it to the seventh or eighth."

STANDINGS: Brewers - 1st place (tied), NL Central. Astros - 1st place (tied), NL Central.

BREWERS PROBABLE STARTER: Wright (11-12, 4.90 ERA last season). Wright set a career high in wins strikeouts (129) last season. The right-hander is 18-21 in two seasons with Milwaukee. He has been never beaten Houston, going 0-5 with a 6.75 ERA in 49 1-3 career innings against the Astros.

ASTROS PROBABLE STARTER: Reynolds (14-11, 4.34 ERA last season). The right-hander has a 3.91 ERA in 1,548 1-3 innings with the Astros. Reynolds is 2-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 65 2-3 career innings against Milwaukee.

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Alex Ochoa, 1.000 avg.; Richie Sexson, Ochoa and Geoff Jenkins, 1 HR; Sexson, Tyler Houston and Jose Hernandez, 2 RBIs; Alex Sanchex, 3 runs and 2 SB. Astros - Berkman, .444 avg, 2 HRs; Berkman, Richard Hidalgo, Ausmus, Ward, 4 RBIs; Hidalgo, 4 runs.

SEASON SERIES: Brewers, 1-0.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Brewers - The last time Milwaukee won consecutive games to start a season was 1995, when it began 3-0. ... 1B Sexson is batting .308 (4-for-13) with two home runs and five RBIs against Reynolds. ... The eight runs marked the most allowed in an inning by Milwaukee since San Francisco scored 11 in the third inning on May 21, 2000. ... RHP Takahito Nomura made his major league debut, pitching a perfecth eighth while striking out two. The 33-year-old Nomura pitched 10 years in Japan before joining the Brewers. Astros - The Astros set a team record for avoiding shutouts. They have gone 103 games in a row without being blanked, breaking the mark of 102 set in 1997-98. ... C Ausmus, who has been battling tendinitis in his right elbow the last two weeks, got his first start.

2001 ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Brewers - 1-1 on the road. Astros - 1-1 at home.

INJURIES: Brewers - RHP Chad Fox (elbow), 15-day DL; RHP Curtis Leskanic (shoulder), 15-day DL; SS Luis Lopez (quadriceps), 15-day DL; RHP Paul Rigdon (shoulder), 15-day DL. Astros - RHP Brocail (elbow), 15-day DL; RHP Hipolito Pichardo (elbow), 15-day DL.