Peter Lambert allowed one run on two hits over seven innings and Jeremy Pena drove in a pair of runs, lifting the host Houston Astros to a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.
Lambert (6-4) surrendered a single to Dillon Dingler to lead off the fourth inning and a solo homer to Kerry Carpenter with two outs in the seventh. Lambert struck out five and did not walk a batter to improve to 4-0 in his last five starts.
Pena belted a solo homer in the third inning and added an RBI single in the sixth.
Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes each had an RBI double in the fifth inning and Cam Smith joined Pena with two hits for the Astros, who captured the decisive contest of the three-game series.
Josh Hader overcame rookie Kevin McGonigle’s homer to lead off the ninth by striking out the next three batters to secure his fourth save of the season.
The Tigers have lost four of their last five games and fell to 12-28 on the road this season.
Pena deposited a 3-2 slider from Casey Mize (2-4) into the Crawford Boxes over the left-field wall to open the scoring. The homer was Pena’s fourth of the season and first since May 30.
Houston’s Jake Meyers made a diving catch in left-center field to rob Spencer Torkelson of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning.
Christian Vazquez singled to lead off the Houston fifth inning, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Alvarez’s double to center field. Paredes stepped up two batters later and doubled off the wall in left field, plating Alvarez and closing the book on Mize.
Mize, who came off the 15-day injured list prior to the game, permitted three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Pena extended the Astros’ lead to 4-0 in the sixth inning with an RBI single to right field.
Prior to the game, the Tigers placed second baseman Gleyber Torres on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. The three-time All-Star exited Monday’s 9-3 win over the Astros after swinging at a pitch in the second inning.
