Road trip - North Coast

Craig Biggio spent the weekend not getting hit by pitches, but the Astros did get their first win of the season on Saturday, 5-1 over the Cardinals. And, he picked up 1 hit, leaving him just 6 short of 2,942.

The Astros head out on their first road trip of the season today, at Wrigley Field to write a new chapter in the baseball's long running North Coast/South Coast rivalry. Biggio collected two thirds of his HBPs away from Houston last season, and he's been hit at Wrigley 12 times, but not since June 1, 2004. That was also the last time he was plunked by the Cubs.

New Cub Ted Lilly will be throwing against the Astros tonight. He's never hit Craig Biggio with a pitch, but he has hit 34 batters, including 4 last season (Frank Thomas, Carl Crawford, Jonny Gomes, and current Astro Mark Loretta).

Biggio hasn't been hit by a pitch on April 9th in the last 10 years, but he was hit on this date in 1996, by Allen Watson, who was pitching for the Giants and is, like Ted Lilly, left handed.