Imai strikes out 10 as Astros beat Tigers 2-1 and extend winning streak to 3 games

DETROIT (AP) — Tatsuya Imai struck out 10 in six scoreless innings and Taylor Trammell homered to lead the Houston Astros to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night.

Imai (5-3) allowed two hits and a walk and threw 63 of his 96 pitches for strikes in the opener of the four-game series. AJ Blubaugh struck out three in two innings, and Enyel De Los Santos gave up Dillon Dingler’s 19th home run in the ninth on the way to his fifth save.

Detroit starter Troy Melton took a perfect game into the sixth inning before Trammell hit a one-out, 0-1 pitch 422 feet to right field for his second home run and a 1-0 lead.

Jeremy Peña singled leading off the ninth against Kenley Jansen and then stole second. Peña took third on a groundout by Yordan Alvarez and scored on a sacrifice fly by Isaac Paredes for an insurance run for Houston.

Melton (4-1) allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts in six innings for the Tigers, who have lost three straight.

Riley Greene’s two-out single off Imai in the fourth was the first hit by either team against the rookie starters.

Houston (40-43) has won three in a row and seven of its last nine to close within two games of the first-place Mariners in the AL West.

The Astros won two of three games in Houston against the Tigers earlier this month.

Up next

Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-3, 3.13 ERA) starts Friday opposite Tigers RHP Keider Montero (3-5, 3.68).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb