Astros top Brewers for season-high 6th straight win

HOUSTON (AP) — Jake Meyers hit a two-run homer and Jeremy Peña’s three-run shot in the fifth inning gave the Houston Astros a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night to extend their season-long winning streak to six games.

Houston trailed by 2 when Victor Caratini singled to start the fifth, Jose Altuve singled on an infield grounder and Peña sent a slider from Freddy Peralta into the left-field seats for a 5-4 lead.

The Astros have won eight of their last nine games to start to recover from a horrible start to the season and move into third place in the AL West.

“We’re feeling good,” Peña said. “We’ve always believed in ourselves since the beginning. We have a great team. We’ve got the necessary pieces and we’re slowly putting it back together.”

Hunter Brown (1-4) yielded four runs and four hits while walking three in five innings for his first win since Sept. 13. He had been 0-6 in his last nine starts.

Milwaukee had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh, but Rafael Montero struck out William Contreras to end the threat.

The Brewers had two on with two outs again in the eighth but came up empty when Bryan Abreu struck out Sal Frelick.

Josh Hader pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save in seven chances.

“I see a team that is playing with urgency,” manager Joe Espada said. “We’ve got edge to our game on both sides of the ball. You could see the swag, you could feel the energy and it’s time for us to pick it up.”

Peralta (3-2) tied season highs by allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings.

Jake Bauers had a solo shot and Joey Ortiz added three hits, highlighted by a three-run homer in the fourth for the Brewers, whose two-game winning streak was snapped.

There was one out in the second when Bauers sent his soaring shot off into the second deck in right field to put Milwaukee up 1-0.

Alex Bregman singled with no outs in the bottom of the inning before Jon Singleton grounded into a force out that left Bregman out at second. Meyers then launched his fourth homer of the season into the crowd in left field to give Houston a 2-1 lead.

Bauers drew a one-out walk in the fourth before Frelick walked with two outs. Ortiz then put the Brewers back on top with his shot that just cleared the short fence in right field.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: OF Chas McCormick (right hamstring discomfort) went 1 for 4 in his fourth rehabilitation game for Double-A Corpus Christi Friday night. Manager Joe Espada said he’ll play one more game before being evaluated for a return.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Justin Verlander (2-1, 3.38 ERA) opposes RHP Bryse Wilson (2-1, 2.65) when the series continues Saturday night.

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