"They're gonna hit," Pirates manager John Russell said a couple of hours before the game. "It's no secret they've got good players. You can't continue to shut down (Lance) Berkman, (Carlos) Lee and (Miguel) Tejada. At some point, they're gonna hit. Hopefully, it's not for a couple more days."

Russell did not get his wish. The hits started coming early, and the Astros beat the Pirates , 4-1.

Tejada, Berkman and Lee combined for six hits, three RBI and three runs scored.

Coming into the game, Berkman was batting .167, Lee was at .192 and Tejada was at .269. Through the first seven games, they had combined for three RBI.

Left-hander Mike Hampton picked up his seventh straight victory against the Pirates . He hasn't lost against them since May 1999.

The Pirates ? lone run came in the ninth, when Adam LaRoche homered against closer Jose Valverde.

Nate McLouth singled to right with two outs in the first inning. Hampton set down the next eight batters ? he struck out the side in the third ? before McLouth drew a walk with one out in the fourth.

Was it a sign that Hampton was weakening? Hardly. Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche took called third strikes.

Craig Monroe began the fifth with a single to right. But Andy LaRoche flied out ? stretching his season-long batting slump to 0 for 16 ? and Ramon Vazquez struck out.

With Brandon Moss pinch-hitting for Ohlendorf, a pitch squirted away from catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Monroe tried for second, but was thrown out on a close play.

Hampton (1-1) tossed six shutout innings. He allowed four hits and one walk and struck out eight.

Bothered by a slew of injuries ? two elbow surgeries; strained hamstring, groin and pectoral muscles ? Hampton made just 25 starts over the past two seasons. He had not faced the Pirates since 2003.

Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf lasted five innings and yielded four runs on eight hits, including three doubles.

The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the first, snapping a streak of 18 scoreless innings. They loaded the bases with none out, then Lee and Hunter Pence hit sacrifice flies.

The middle of Houston's lineup got to Ohlendorf (0-2) again in the third. Tejada led off with a single that ticked off the glove of third baseman Andy LaRoche.

Berkman doubled off the Clemente Wall in right. Lee ripped a two-run double to left to make it 4-0.

The Astros' troublemakers came at Ohlendorf again in the fifth. Tejada led off with a double and went to third on Berkman's grounder.

This time, Ohlendorf got out of the jam. Lee struck out swinging and Pence grounded out sharply to third.