The left-hander is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two starts versus Pittsburgh this season, compared to 1-4 with a 6.43 ERA against other teams.

Hampton held Pittsburgh to one run and three hits in seven innings of a 2-1 road victory on Sunday, improving to 12-3 with a 2.51 ERA lifetime against the Pirates. He’s won 12 of 13 decisions against them since 1997, including eight straight starts.

The Pirates will hand the ball to 26-year-old Jeff Karstens(notes) (2-2, 4.83). The right-hander ended a six-start winless streak by beating the Astros on Saturday, holding them to two runs in seven innings of a 7-4 victory.

That was Karstens’ second career start against Houston. He gave up three runs in four innings of a 6-3 loss in his season debut April 16.

Although the Astros planned to rest Miguel Tejada more this year than in the past, the veteran shortstop has made it impossible for manager Cecil Cooper to keep him out of the lineup.

Tejada entered Thursday night atop the National League in batting average and carrying a 17-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in baseball.

"Right now it's pretty hard to do," Cooper said of resting Tejada. "I think we'll have to just let the off days take care of some of that. As long as he's on the streak, he's going to play. It's as simple as that. We're just going to play him until he gets off the streak. He's been so productive."

Maybe Tejada will soon get a day off. He went 0-for-5 in Thursday's loss.

Tejada, Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee are the only Astros to have played in every game this year. He despises days off.

"This is what I like to do," Tejada said. "I work hard for this to maintain myself. ... I'm not playing for the streak. I'm playing because I want to keep the team playing well.

"At this moment I wouldn't want a day off because I think the team needs me there. I feel very strong, very strong."

ROCKIES 10, ASTROS 3: LHP Wandy Rodriguez gave up 10 hits and seven runs with two walks and seven strikeouts over five innings. SS Miguel Tejada's 17-game hitting streak was snapped when he went hitless in five at-bats.

NOTES, QUOTES

--With the baseball draft set to start Tuesday, the Astros will hold a special private workout for nearly 40 top high school, junior college and college players Friday morning at Minute Maid Park.

A similar workout before last year's draft was attended by eventual first-round compensatory pick Jordan Lyles, second-round pick Jay Austin, third-round compensatory pick Ross Seaton and eighth-round pick Brad Dydalewicz. Assistant general manager Bobby Heck, the director of amateur scouting, wouldn't reveal the invitees because he doesn't want to tip his hand to other clubs.

"It will be give or take 40 guys," he said. "It's just to get guys in our environment here and our ballpark. We see them on amateur fields that are all different shapes and sizes across the country.

"The other thing is you're going to have a large group of prospects in one place just for comparison sake from one guy to another and put them in this place and see what they look like. Some guys gravitate toward the environment. And some kids will tell you, 'Hey, I need to go to college. I'm not ready for this big stage.'"

All the players who accepted invitations have been scouted multiple times already by the Astros.

"It's guys we've done a tremendous amount of work on already," Heck said. "And the reason they're coming is because our scouts built a relationship already. It's not guys that we're having them come in here and we're going to make hard-line decisions on. It's more icing on the cake and there may be some guys where we're trying to get a question or two answered. At this point we're real close."

--RHP Roy Oswalt has great respect for the Giants LHP Randy Johnson, who earned his 300th career victory Thursday.

"As a guy who's been around for a while now, 300 wins is a lot," Oswalt said. "You got to have a lot of things go your way. He's the type of pitcher that if you put him in a situation to where he can win, he's going to win.

"He doesn't beat himself. I think that's the biggest thing about 300-win guys. They don't beat themselves out on the mound. They seem to be aggressive the whole game and get deep into games. A lot of guys that don't get wins seem to fade out in the sixth inning. These guys like Randy and (Roger) Clemens and (Greg) Maddux, it seems like they're in the eighth inning all the time."

BY THE NUMBERS: 4 -- INF Edwin Maysonet had a career-high four hits and four RBI on May 29 against the Pirates, becoming just the second Astros rookie to go 4-for-4 with a home run and four-plus RBI in one game. J.R. Towles, who did it Sept. 20, 2007, was the other.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We all have to take responsibility for where we are. I don't think anybody can step out of the glare at this time. We have to recognize that we're all accountable and responsible. I take full accountability for this. I'm responsible." -- General manager Ed Wade.

ROSTER REPORT

--2B Kaz Matsui, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, resumed baseball activities Thursday. He had been kept out of baseball activities since having a cortisone shot on his hamstring Tuesday.

--RHP Geoff Geary threw a bullpen session Thursday, his final step before pitching Saturday for Class AA Corpus Christi on a rehab assignment. "I felt good," he said. "Every day has been a progressive improvement. Our timing is still a little bit off. That's why I'm very happy I'm going and throwing against hitters. Maybe it will keep me away from trying to figure it out mechanically and just throw and do it. A lot of times we try to dig too deep to try to solve a problem when the problem is already solved. You just have to do it." Geary will pitch Saturday and Monday, likely in the middle to late innings.

--1B Lance Berkman hit a leadoff double off the left-field wall in the seventh inning, passing Jose Cruz for fourth on the Astros' all-time doubles list. Berkman has 336 doubles.

--LHP Wandy Rodriguez gave up 10 hits and seven runs with two walks and seven strikeouts over five innings. Rodriguez has given up 12 runs in his last two starts and 18 (six unearned) in his last three. Rodriguez, who had gone 88 1/3 innings without giving up a home run until he gave one up on May 20, gave up four home runs Thursday. Garrett Atkins had two of those, a two-run shot in the third and a solo shot in the fifth.

--SS Miguel Tejada was 0-for-5 to end his 17-game hitting streak, which was the longest active streak in the National League.

MEDICAL WATCH:

2B Kaz Matsui (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 26. He had a cortisone shot June 2.

RHP Geoff Geary (right biceps tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list May 14. He threw a simulated game May 31, and he will begin a rehab assignment with Class AA Corpus Christi on June 6.

RHP Jose Valverde (strained right calf) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 27. He will throw simulated games June 5 and 7 before possibly beginning a rehab assignment.

RHP Doug Brocail (torn left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list May 4. He had yet to resume baseball activities in early June.