Astros-Cubs Preview

Kosuke Fukudome concluded his first major-league series in impressive fashion.

Now, he hopes to help the Chicago Cubs build on their first win of the season Friday when they open a three-game set against the Houston Astros.

Fukudome went 4-for-8 with a pair of doubles, a home run, three RBIs and four walks in his first three games in the majors. He scored two of his three runs Thursday, going 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base to help the Cubs (1-2) to a 6-3 win over Milwaukee, salvaging a win from the season-opening three-game series.

The Japanese right fielder's strong start also included a game-tying, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in Monday's season opener before the Cubs eventually lost 4-3 in 10 innings.

"He's very patient," Cubs manager Lou Piniella told the team's official Web site. "He works the count very well. He's just a professional hitter. He probably takes more pitches than anybody else on the team. He's in a three-ball count a heck of a lot."

Piniella and the Cubs saw Fukudome as the ideal candidate to help solve their issues in right field.

The Cubs outbid several teams to sign Fukudome to a four-year, $48 million contract in December after he spent nine years with the Chunichi Dragons. He batted .305 with a .397 on-base percentage and a .543 slugging percentage with the Japanese club, while winning two Central League batting titles and four Gold Gloves.

Fukudome, though, gained attention from major-league teams by helping Japan win the first World Baseball Classic in 2006. He hit .182 in the tournament, but two of his four hits were homers.

The Cubs will send Rich Hill (11-8, 3.92 ERA) to the mound for his 2008 debut.

The left-hander was solid in his final four starts of the regular season, going 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 22 2-3 innings. One of those victories came against Houston (1-3) on Sept. 12, when he allowed one run and three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 3-2 victory. That helped him improve to 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in five games -- three starts -- against the Astros.

However, he failed to carry his late-season momentum into the playoffs, giving up three runs and six hits in three innings of a 5-1 loss to Arizona on Oct. 6, as the Cubs were swept in the NL division series.

Chicago went 8-7 against Houston last season, winning six of nine meetings at Wrigley Field.

The Astros are hoping Chris Sampson (7-8, 4.59) can help them rebound from Thursday's 3-2 loss at San Diego, as they fell for a third time in the season-opening four-game series.

Houston pitchers posted a 4.09 ERA, while getting tagged for a .336 batting average by the Padres.

Sampson will try to avoid a similar fate after an elbow injury ended his 2007 season in September. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in four games -- two starts -- against the Cubs.

The Astros have started slowly on offense, hitting .203 with four homers and 12 runs. All of those home runs came in a 9-6 win on Wednesday.

Carlos Lee is hoping a return to Wrigley can help him snap out of a 3-for-17 funk (.176). The left fielder has a career batting average of .302 with 13 homers and 31 RBIs in 40 games at Wrigley. However, he has only managed two hits in his last 19 at-bats there.