HOUSTON (Interstat) — Bubba Chandler pitched six solid innings and Brandon Lowe’s three-run homer in the eighth inning broke open a close game as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Houston Astros 10-6 on Tuesday night at Daikin Park.

The Pirates improved to 33-28, while the Astros fell to 27-35 before an announced crowd of 25,513. The game lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes.

Pittsburgh grabbed an early lead in the second inning when Endy Rodríguez hit a two-run home run, his first of the season, after Nick Gonzales led off with a single. The Pirates added four runs in the sixth, capped by Oneil Cruz’s 14th homer of the season, a three-run shot that cleared the center-field wall. Lowe’s eighth-inning blast, his 15th, pushed the lead to 10-4.

Houston answered quickly in the bottom of the first. Jeremy Peña singled and Yordan Alvarez followed with his 21st home run, a two-run shot to left-center that put the Astros ahead 2-0. But the Pirates responded in the second and never trailed again.

The pivotal moment came in the sixth inning. With the Pirates leading 4-2, Ryan O’Hearn drew a leadoff walk. Gonzales singled to put runners at first and second. Cruz then crushed a 1-0 pitch from Astros starter Mike Burrows deep to center, scoring O’Hearn and Gonzales and putting Pittsburgh ahead 7-2. Rodríguez followed with a walk, and Jake Mangum bunted for a single. Mangum’s bunt was fielded by third baseman Isaac Paredes, whose throw to first sailed wide, allowing Rodríguez to score and making it 8-2. Burrows was lifted after the inning, having allowed eight hits and five earned runs over five innings. He struck out three and walked three.

The Astros chipped away. They scored one in the third when Peña reached on a fielding error by third baseman Gonzales, moved to second on the error, and scored on Christian Walker’s single. Another run came in the fourth on a forceout by Peña that plated Brice Matthews. That cut the lead to 8-4, but the Pirates’ bullpen held Houston scoreless until the ninth.

Gregory Soto earned his eighth save of the season, working the final 1 1/3 innings. He entered in the eighth with two outs and a runner on first and retired the only batter he faced. In the ninth, he surrendered two runs on three hits and a walk but struck out two to seal the win.

Pittsburgh’s offense featured 13 hits. Cruz homered and singled, driving in three runs. Gonzales had three hits, scored twice and reached base four times. Rodríguez doubled and homered, driving in two. Mangum had three singles and scored a run. Lowe’s homer was his only hit but produced three RBIs.

Houston managed eight hits. Peña singled twice and drove in a run. Alvarez homered and singled, driving in three. Walker and Matthews each had one hit. The Astros grounded into two double plays, including one that ended a potential rally in the sixth.

Chandler, who entered with a 1-6 record, allowed four runs — three earned — on five hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out five. He benefited from a pair of double plays turned by the Pirates defense. The right-hander struggled with command early but settled in after the third inning, retiring eight of the last nine batters he faced.

The game featured several defensive gems. In the fourth inning, Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds threw out Christian Vázquez at second base after a line-drive force out. In the fifth, Astros third baseman Paredes started a line-drive double play to end a Pittsburgh threat.

Houston’s bullpen provided mixed results. Enyel De Los Santos pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out two. Steven Okert worked a clean eighth with one strikeout. AJ Blubaugh allowed one earned run on two hits in the ninth, striking out three. Bryan Abreu took over in the eighth and allowed Lowe’s three-run homer, taking the loss.

The Pirates scored in four separate innings: two in the second, four in the sixth, three in the eighth and one in the ninth. The Astros scored two in the first, one in the third, one in the fourth and two in the ninth.

Pittsburgh entered the series on a three-game winning streak, having swept the Minnesota Twins at home over the weekend. The Pirates had lost four of six before that sweep. Houston had lost three of four entering Tuesday, including a 2-0 defeat to Milwaukee on Sunday.

The two teams continue the series Wednesday and Thursday before Pittsburgh heads to Atlanta for a weekend set. Houston will host the Athletics starting Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Pittsburgh 7, Houston 6. Interstat’s ELO system had given Houston a 53.40 percent probability to win. Pittsburgh had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The combined 16 runs went under the over-under line of 9.