(Sports Network) - Both Lance Berkman and his Houston Astro teammates aim to keep up their recent hot streaks when the surging club plays the second of four consecutive clashes with the San Francisco Giants tonight at AT&T Park.

Houston registered its fourth straight victory and ninth win in 10 games with Monday's 7-3 come-from-behind decision over the Giants. Berkman once again played a key role in the win, as the standout first baseman slugged a two-run homer in the sixth inning that tied the contest at 3-3.

Berkman, who ended 3-for-4 on the night, is riding an 11-game hitting streak and has been torturing enemy pitchers during May. In 10 games this month, the switch-hitting All-Star is batting a scorching .641 (25-for-39) with five home runs, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored.

The Astros went ahead on Hunter Pence's sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh, then put the game out of reach with a three-run eighth. Jose Cruz delivered an RBI single during the frame and finished 2-for-3 for Houston, while Pence collected a pair of hits in four at-bats.

Houston also received some strong pitching on Monday, with starter Roy Oswalt (4-3) allowing just three runs on five hits over the first eight innings and Jose Valverde recording the game's final out with the bases loaded to earn his ninth save.

Giants reliever Vinnie Chulk gave up the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and was saddled with the loss. Barry Zito still remained winless on the season, but the struggling lefty threw a solid six innings in which he gave up three runs on seven hits.

John Bowker hit a solo homer and Fred Lewis went 2-for-4 with an RBI for San Francisco, which has dropped six of its last eight games.

The Giants turn to Matt Cain in hopes of getting back on track tonight. The young righty has had an inconsistent season so far, having recorded just a 1-3 record with a 4.50 earned run average while often being plagued by a lack of run support.

Cain struggled in Pittsburgh last Thursday, when he surrendered five runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings to take the loss in a 5-4 Giants' setback. The former first-round pick had allowed two runs or less in each of his previous three starts.

The 23-year-old has made one start and one relief appearance against Houston over his career. That lone start came at AT&T Park on April 13, 2006, with Cain giving up three runs and striking out eight over five innings of an 8-0 loss to the Astros.

He'll be opposed tonight by the struggling Brandon Backe, who has lost three of his last four decisions and is coming off a home defeat to Washington on Thursday. The injury-plagued hurler did struck out nine Nationals in six innings on that night, but also permitted four runs on six hits.

Control has been the biggest issue for Backe, who is 2-4 with a 4.64 ERA on the year and missed a majority of the past two seasons with elbow problems. The 30-year-old has walked 28 batters in 42 2/3 innings and issued three free passes or more in six of his eight starts.

Backe is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA over three previous encounters with the Giants. That victory was a complete-game effort on May 15, 2005, with Backe firing a four-hitter to notch his only career shutout.

The Giants won four of their six encounters with Houston last season and have gone 9-4 against the Astros since 2006. San Francisco has taken five of the seven matchups held at AT&T Park during that two-year stretch.