Deep in the Heat of the Texas

Cubs are taking ealry BP in the 90-plus-degree heat of open-roofed Houston Juice Box, but it’s hard to tell whether all the sweat is a result of the Houston weather or all the heat radiating off Alfonso Soriano.

As anybody who follows baseball knows by now, the two hottest hitters in the majors are poised to upstage a 1-vs.-3 National League Central matchup in Houston the next three nights.

So who stays the hottest as Soriano (.525, seven homers last 10 games) and Houston’s Lance Berkman (.500, five homers last 10 games) go head to head? And which streak trumps which streak — Cubs’ 8-for-10 at home or Houston’s 7-for-10 on the road as they open this series? Do the starters — Brian Moehler and Ted Lilly — have a chance?