(Sports Network) - Daisuke Matsuzaka hopes his second start back from the disabled list lasts a little longer than his first. The Japanese hurler will take the mound when the Boston Red Sox play the first of three interleague games against the Houston Astros tonight at Minute Maid Park.

Matsuzaka returned on Saturday after missing more than a month with a right rotator cuff strain, and was battered by the St. Louis Cardinals for seven runs and six hits in just one-plus inning of work. The loss dropped him to 8-1 on the season, while raising his earned run average to 3.46.

Houston, meanwhile, will counter with right-hander Runelvys Hernandez, who will be making his first start of the season in place of the recently released Shawn Chacon.

Chacon was put on waivers on Thursday following an ugly clubhouse incident which turned physical with general manager Ed Wade the day before. Chacon was apparently miffed that he was being demoted to the bullpen.

Hernandez had been 6-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 15 starts at Triple-A Round Rock.

The Astros put the tumultuous day behind them on Thursday, as Wandy Rodriguez pitched eight strong innings and Hunter Pence drove in three runs to lift Houston past the Texas Rangers, 7-2, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Rodriguez (3-3) allowed one run on five hits with nine strikeouts for Houston, which has won three of its last four games. David Newhan finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored, while Lance Berkman added three hits, two runs scored and an RBI in the win.

Boston enters this series having won three of its last four following a 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

While the Red Sox have been nearly unbeatable at home, they have struggled away from the friendly confines of Fenway Park. The club has posted just an 18-22 mark on the road, where Boston will be for the next 10 games.

Following the series in Houston, the Red Sox will visit the Rays for three games before closing the trek with a four-game stop in the Bronx against the New York Yankees.

Boston, which will be making its first-ever visit to Houston, swept the Astros in a three-game set at Fenway back in 2003.