PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Locke didnt have his best stuff Sunday. He didnt need it to shut down the majors worst team. Locke allowed three hits over seven innings, Pedro Alvarez homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates won for the eighth time in 10 games, 1-0 over the Houston. Locke (4-1) won his fourth straight decision and gave up one run or fewer for the fifth time in his past eight outings. He struck out four and walked three. "Pitched is the imperative word," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Locke. "He was behind a number of counts, his first-pitch strikes were below 50 per cent... but, that being said, he didnt give up anything. He was able to put a foot down, get balls on the ground when we needed them." In his past six outings, Locke has allowed 21 hits and seven earned runs over 37 innings (1.70 ERA). Despite allowing the leadoff man to reach four times, Locke permitted a runner to reach second base only once. "There were some pitches early on that were real good pitches that I felt I had real good command of, but there were times in the game that I fell behind 1-0, 2-0 and put them in some pretty good hitters counts," Locke said. "But I was able to make pitches and use the defence." The notoriously streaky Alvarez pushed his average above .200 for just the second time since the second game of the season. His eighth home run came on the first pitch and was an opposite field line drive down the left field line in the fifth. Alvarezs most recent homer was Friday -- a titanic shot that reached the Allegheny River. Hurdle quipped that his third baseman followed up arguably his longest career home run with perhaps his shortest. "I just remember hitting it and knowing that it was going to be fair," said Alvarez, who also walked in the second and flied out to the wall in centre in the seventh. "But I didnt know if it was going to carry as much as it did." Alvarezs longball -- his third in eight games -- was the lone mistake by Astros starter Lucas Harrell, who lost his third consecutive decision despite allowing four hits and one walk in seven innings. Through 6 1-3 innings, Alvarezs home run and Sniders double were the only balls to leave the infield off Harrell (3-5), who had a single in a rare plate appearance for an American League pitcher. "Today felt like the first game this season that I dominated both sides of the plate with my sinker," Harrell said. "(Catcher Carlos Corporan) did a great job with his homework. He had a really good game plan and I just followed along." Pittsburghs other chance at scoring came the prior inning, when Travis Snider was thrown out at the plate by centre fielder Brandon Barnes on a two-out single by Gaby Sanchez. The throw easily beat Snider, who had doubled, and Sniders shoulder to the chest of Corporan did not jar the ball loose. Off to their best 44-game start since 1991, the Pirates (26-18) have the National Leagues third-best record. They won despite the absence of outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who was a late scratch because of soreness in his right knee. McCutchen said he was put at ease after an examination by medical personnel Sunday and that he expects to play in the Pirates next game Tuesday. Hurdle said he could have used McCutchen in an emergency. A day after his 13-game scoreless streak came to an end, Mark Melancon worked a perfect eighth and Jason Grilli finished with a 1-2-3 ninth for his majors-leading 17th save. The Astros, who won in 11 innings Saturday night, did not have an extra-base hit. "Their guy (Locke) did a good job," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "He changed speeds, pitched to both sides of the plate and kept us away from the barrel. Sometimes youve got to tip your cap and give credit to the other guy." NOTES: Astros SS Ronny Cedeno was scratched from the lineup late Sunday morning because of a sinus infection. ... Houston has won three of its 11 series played this season while Pittsburgh is 8-2-2 in its past 12 series. ... The Pirates are off Monday but then play on 16 consecutive days. They open up a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on Tuesday. ... Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel will make his third start of the season in the opener of a three-game series in Kansas City on Monday. Custom Titans Jersey China . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. Wholesale Custom Titans Shirts . Badenhop was 2-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 63 relief appearances for Milwaukee this season. He is 18-20 in his career with three saves and a 3. http://www.customtitansjersey.com/ .875,000, avoiding arbitration. 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WACO, Texas -- The former Title IX coordinator at Baylor University says that a top school official told her to never put anything in writing after she sent him a 16-page memo detailing her concerns that her authority and support were still being compromised even as the university had indicated it was trying to make changes in the wake of a series of sexual assault claims.Patty Crawford told 60 Minutes Sports on Showtime that Reagan Ramsower, the universitys senior vice president for operations and chief financial officer, yelled at her in July after she wrote the memo. The segment aired Tuesday evening.He was not happy. And -- I was shocked. I was yelled at. I was told, `Dont ever put anything in writing to me again. You talk to me in person. You call me on the phone. But dont put anything in writing, she said.Ramsower told the television program that Crawfords claim was a complete fabrication.Ramsower said he had 12 meetings with Crawford in the five weeks prior to when the memo was sent and that she had not raised any of her concerns to him.David Garland, Baylors interim president, told 60 Minutes Sports on Showtime that he found Crawfords accusations that Ramsower was impeding her efforts to be untrue and also unfair. ... We have spared no expense in trying to address these issues.As Title IX coordinator, Crawford was charged with enforcing federal standards meant to prevent discrimination based on gender. Her job also included investigating the sexual assault claims.An outside investigation of the Baylor University sexual violence scandal found 17 women who had reported sexual or domestic assaults involving 19 Baylor University athletes sincee 2011.dddddddddddd Those included four reports of gang rapes.The investigation by the Pepper Hamilton law firm in Philadelphia found some players were alleged to have participated in a series of assaults over several years.Baylor has previously said the review found that the football program operated as if it were above the rules.Coach Art Briles was fired earlier this year, as was the athletic director. President Ken Starr was removed from his post by regents and he later resigned as chancellor.Crawford also told 60 Minutes Sports on Showtime that she was denied access to police reports about various complaints that women had filed alleging sexual assault and abuse.She said that when she tried to get Waco police reports she received an email from a university vice president telling her that police do not want the actual police reports turned over to Title IX. Crawford said she could be apprised of what was in the reports but that the reports were off-limits.Ramsower said one of the reports by university police about an alleged gang rape in 2013 involving two football players stayed with the police department.That was -- that was a significant failure to respond by our police department. Theres no doubt about it, he said.Ramsower said the individuals within the police department who failed to notify him about these reports of sexual assaults are no longer employed by Baylor.Garland apologized for how victims were treated.I am so sorry that we did not treat them right. And we will not ... let this happen again, he said. ' ' '