HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez hit his seventh home run of the season and Spencer Arrighetti struck out 10 in six strong innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.

Alvarez, who took Jose Quintana deep in the third inning, is tied for second in the majors in homers.

Arrighetti (1-0) gave up two hits and one run in his first major league start this season after being recalled from Triple-A following an injury to right-hander Cody Bolton.

Houston has won two straight following an eight-game skid. The Rockies have lost six in a row after winning their previous four.

The Rockies had runners on first and third with two outs in the seventh, but Bryan Abreu retired TJ Rumfield on a groundout. Enyel De Los Santos struck out two in a scoreless ninth to get the save for a second night in a row.

Christian Walker opened the scoring for the Astros with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first. Cam Smith followed with another sac fly.

Colorado’s Ezequiel Tovar walked to open the second and scored on a double by Willi Castro.

Troy Johnston and Castro both left the game after being hit by pitches from Arrighetti. Johnston was hit in the right thigh, and the Rockies said he had a bruised quadriceps.

Castro was hit on the right hand in the fourth and was removed from the game. Manager Warren Schaeffer said X-rays on Castro’s hand were negative but that it was swollen.

Quintana (0-1) allowed three hits and three runs while walking four in 3 2/3 innings in his return after missing more than two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Up next

Right-hander Ryan Weiss (0-2, 7.36 ERA) will start for Houston in Thursday night’s finale of the three-game series. The Rockies had not announced a starter.

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