(Sports Network) - The St. Louis Cardinals bring a five-game win streak into Houston's Minute Maid Park this evening, when the National League Central foes begin the first of three straight meetings.

The Cardinals have built their impressive season start upon excellent starting pitching. St. Louis' five rotation members have combined to go 5-0 with an unbelievable 0.96 earned run average through the team's first six games, having yielded just four runs in a combined 37 2/3 innings of work.

Kyle Lohse has been particularly dominant for the Cardinals, as the right- hander has yet to allow a run over 12 innings in his two starts. He teamed with three relievers to record a five-hit shutout on Sunday as St. Louis completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 3-0 decision.

Lohse surrendered just four hits and walked one through the first seven innings. After Randy Flores and Ryan Franklin teamed for a scoreless eighth, Jason Isringhausen kept Washington off the board in the ninth to pick up his third save of the year.

Rick Ankiel kept up his hot start of 2008 as well for St. Louis, as the converted pitcher went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI to pace the offense.

Ankiel batted .348 (8-for-23) with three homers and six RBI during the Cards' six-game homestand and has hit safely in five straight contests.

Todd Wellemeyer will attempt to keep up St. Louis' excellent run of starting pitching when he takes the hill tonight. The right-hander was sharp against defending NL champion Colorado on Wednesday, limiting the Rockies to a run on four hits and striking out six over five innings to earn the victory in an 8-3 Cardinals' triumph.

Wellemeyer, who split last season between the rotation and the bullpen for St. Louis, is 1-0 with a 5.27 ERA in seven career appearances, including one start, against Houston. That lone start came on September 23 of last season, and Wellemeyer surrendered just one hit over five scoreless frames in that outing despite not factoring in the decision.

The Astros will be playing their first game at Minute Maid Park tonight and struggled during a season-opening road trip through San Diego and Chicago. Houston went just 2-5 on the swing and ended it with back-to-back losses to the Cubs, including Sunday's 3-2 setback.

Chicago's Derrek Lee snapped a 2-2 tie with a solo home run off Astros reliever Oscar Villarreal (0-2) in the seventh inning, and Houston failed to reach base against Cub relievers Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood over the final two frames.

The Astros tied the contest at 2-2 on Miguel Tejada's first home run in a Houston uniform, a solo blast off Carlos Zambrano in the top of the seventh.

Astros starter Brandon Backe pitched well in a no decision, allowing two runs over six innings and striking out seven Chicago hitters. Backe also doubled and scored on a Darin Erstad single in the third inning.

Erstad started at first base in place of Lance Berkman, who sat out Sunday's tilt with neck spasms and is questionable to play tonight. Third baseman Ty Wigginton will not be in the Houston lineup this evening after fracturing his left thumb in Saturday's game with the Cubs.

Wandy Rodriguez hopes to duplicate his 2007 success at Minute Maid Park when he throws for Houston tonight. The left-hander went 6-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 15 home starts last year, compared to a 3-10 mark and 6.37 ERA on the road.

Rodriguez received a no decision in his season debut on Wednesday after giving up four runs and eight hits through five innings against San Diego. He did record six strikeouts in that game, however.

The 29-year-old is just 1-4 with a 6.59 ERA in six lifetime games (5 starts) against St. Louis, but did beat the Cardinals with eight innings of one-run ball last September at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis won nine of its 16 matchups with Houston last season and posted a 5-4 mark at Minute Maid Park in 2007.