Astros slam Pirates

Carlos Lee hit a grand slam and Mike Hampton beat Pittsburgh for the ninth straight time in the Houston Astros’ 9-1 win over the Pirates on Friday night.

Hampton (4-4) struck out five and allowed five hits in seven innings, holding the Pirates to one run for the second time in a week. He also pitched seven innings in Houston’s 2-1 win at PNC Park on Sunday.

The 36-year-old left-hander, who signed with the Astros as a free agent in December, won at Minute Maid Park for the first time in eight starts since April 2003, when he pitched for Atlanta. He also had a hit and an RBI for the Astros, who’ve won six of their past eight.