by John Grupp , Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"I think we had a better approach," said Andy LaRoche, who went 0-for-4. "We were hitting the ball. They weren't falling for us. We couldn't get anything going."

Hampton (5-5) allowed one run on three hits over seven innings to win his 10th consecutive start against the Pirates dating to May 9, 2000.

It's the longest streak against the Pirates since Robin Roberts won 15 consecutive starts from 1951-53.

Hampton is 14-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his past 15 decisions against the Pirates .

"He's tough on us," manager John Russell said. "I thought we had a couple opportunities, but we didn't get it done."

Hampton, a 36-year-old left-hander, continues to master the Pirates despite underwhelming performances against everyone else. He is 4-0 with a 1.00 ERA against the Pirates this year, and 1-5 with a 6.46 ERA against the rest of Baseball.

Virgil Vasquez (1-2) allowed four runs on seven hits through six innings in the loss, as the Pirates fell for the 24th time in 35 games against NL Central foes.

"I needed to be better today," Vasquez said. "I needed to go out and put up a quick zero. It was on me."

Jose Valverde struck out the side in the ninth for his seventh save.

All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada went 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Geoff Blum added a two-run triple for the surging Astros.

Robinzon Diaz went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Pirates .

It marked the 22rd time this year - more than one-quarter of their games ? the Pirates scored one run or fewer.

Scoring against Hampton is a rare treat. The most recent time the Pirates won a game he started was Aug. 13, 1999, a 6-5, 13-inning victory over the Astros.

The last time Hampton lost a decision to the Pirates ? a 7-3 defeat at Three Rivers Stadium on May 30, 1999 ? Kris Benson was the Pirates' starting pitcher and Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio were still in their prime for the Astros.

This time, the Pirates missed a golden chance in the first inning and didn't advance a runner past second base in the first six innings. They fell to 2-6 in their past eight games and dropped a season-worst nine games under .500 (37-46).

The Astros have won 10 of 16 games to pull into a fourth-place tie with the Reds in the NL Central.

The Pirates scored their only run on Garrett Jones' double and Diaz's two-out single in the seventh. It is their lone run in the past 20 innings.

The Pirates didn't exactly field a Murderer's Row in their bid to beat Hampton.

Their starting lineup entered the game with a combined 14 home runs - three fewer than Astros first baseman Lance Berkman. Seven of the Pirates' starters had two or fewer home runs, as team leader Adam LaRoche (12 homers) sat out against the lefty Hampton and Freddy Sanchez (six homers) missed his fourth game in a row with a strained lower back.

Still, the Pirates had a chance to jump on Hampton in the first inning when Andrew McCutchen and Jack Wilson drew consecutive walks to open the game.

Delwyn Young lined the first pitch he saw up the middle, but Hampton ? in an act of self-preservation ? got his glove up and caught the ball. He threw to first and doubled up Wilson. Jones, batting clean-up, grounded out to second.

The Astros took a 2-0 lead off Vasquez in the first inning on a two-run triple to right field by Geoff Blum. The ball appeared to bounce off the yellow line at the top of the wall, eluding a leaping Jones.

Vasquez got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth when Humberto Quintero grounded his first pitch into an inning-ending double play. But Vasquez walked Hampton to open the fifth. After a Michael Bourn bunt single, Tejada ripped a two-run double down the third-base line for a 4-0 Astros edge.

How they scored

Astros first inning (Virgil Vasquez pitching): With one out, Miguel Tejada doubled to left. Lance Berkman walked. Carlos Lee flied out to right. Geoff Blum tripled to right, Tejada and Berkman scored. Astros 2, Pirates 0

Astros fifth (Vasquez pitching): With none out, Mike Hampton walked. Michael Bourn reached on infield single, Hampton to second. Tejada doubled to left, Hampton and Bourn scored. Astros 4, Pirates 0

Pirates seventh (Mike Hampton pitching): With none out, Garrett Jones doubled to right-center. Andy LaRoche lined out to second. Steve Pearce struck out. Robinzon Diaz singled to center, Jones scored. Astros 4, Pirates 1

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