(Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers shoot for the Lone Star State sweep this afternoon as they close out a three-game interleague set with the Houston Astros at Rangers Ballpark.

The Rangers evened their overall season record at 22-22 and drew to within 2 1/2 games of first place in the American League West on Saturday when they logged a 6-2 win against Houston at home.

Milton Bradley and Marlon Byrd each connected on two-run homers for the Rangers on Saturday, while David Murphy and Gerald Laird each drove in a run for Texas. Josh Hamilton went 2-for-3 and scored a run as the Rangers won their seventh straight series.

Vicente Padilla pitched seven strong innings, permitting just two runs on five hits, while striking out six for the home team.

Lance Berkman finished up 2-for-3 with a solo homer and extended his hit streak to 16 games for the Astros, who have dropped three of five following a four-game win streak. Miguel Tejada drove in the other Houston run.

Roy Oswalt, who left the game with a strained right groin, suffered the loss after being tagged for six runs on 11 hits in six-plus frames.

Brandon Backe is set to make the start for the Astros as they close out the series with Texas this afternoon. Backe, who is 0-2 with a lofty 9.00 ERA versus the Rangers in his career, has a mere two wins in seven decisions thus far in 2008.

The seven-year veteran made it through six innings for the second straight outing on Tuesday, but surrendering four runs, three earned, on seven hits, left Backe and the Astros with a 4-2 loss against San Francisco on the road.

Of the six games that Backe has pitched and Houston has lost this season, the team has failed to produce more than three runs in any one game.

As for Texas, the rotation has Kason Gabbard gunning for his second win of the season as he counters Backe.

Gabbard, who is making his first-ever appearance versus Houston today, won his first outing of the season against Anaheim during the first week of April, but has failed to record another decision since, even though the team has won four of his five appearances.

On Tuesday the three-year vet made it through 5 1/3 innings versus Seattle at home, permitting just a pair of runs and a season-low one walk. Nevertheless, Gabbard is still showing trouble with his control overall, having totaled 14 bases-on-balls and just 11 strikeouts over the course of 29 2/3 innings.

Berkman is 34-for-61 with 21 RBI and 21 runs scored during his current hitting streak and has a major league-leading 16 home runs. However, even with Berkman's efforts, the Astros are still just sixth in the NL in slugging at .425.

Texas hitters are first in the AL with 51 home runs, second with 94 doubles and second in hitting with a .273 average. Unfortunately, the Rangers pitching staff tends to make it harder for the team to pick up victories, due to a 4.65 ERA which is second-to-last in the league at the moment.

The Rangers, who are 15-11 against the Astros since the start of the 2004 campaign, own a 95-101 all-time versus the National League, while Houston is now 87-82 all-time in games played against the AL. In terms of the all-time series between the in-state rivals, they clubs are tied at 22-22.