HOUSTON (Interstat) — Colt Keith homered three times and drove in six runs, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night at Daikin Park.

Keith, the Tigers third baseman, went 3 for 4 with a pair of two-run homers and a solo shot, powering Detroit to its second win in three games. The victory improved the Tigers to 30-42, while the Astros fell to 33-41 before a crowd of 26,632. The game lasted 2 hours, 57 minutes.

Detroit struck first in the opening inning. Kevin McGonigle walked, moved to second on a walk to Riley Greene, and advanced to third when Dillon Dingler was hit by a pitch. Keith then was hit by a pitch to force in McGonigle, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The inning ended with Spencer Torkelson striking out.

The Tigers added another run in the second when McGonigle led off with a solo home run, his fifth of the season, to right field. That made it 2-0.

Houston threatened in the bottom of the second when Cam Smith doubled with one out, but he was stranded as Brice Matthews struck out and Christian Vázquez grounded out.

The game opened up in the third inning. After Riley Greene singled and Dingler reached on a force out, Keith crushed his first home run of the night, a two-run shot to right-center field, pushing the lead to 4-0. Torkelson followed with a solo homer to left, his 12th, making it 5-0.

The Astros answered in the bottom of the third. Christian Walker walked, and Isaac Paredes launched a two-run homer to left, cutting the deficit to 5-2. Jose Altuve then hit a solo homer to left-center, pulling Houston within 5-3.

Detroit starter Drew Anderson worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out five. Will Vest, Tyler Holton, Enmanuel De Jesus and Kyle Finnegan combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, holding the Astros to two hits. Vest pitched 1 1/3 hitless frames, Holton threw 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts, De Jesus struck out one in a perfect inning, and Finnegan earned the win with a scoreless ninth, allowing one hit and striking out one to improve to 2-0.

Houston starter Kai-Wei Teng lasted three innings, surrendering five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six. He took the loss, falling to 3-6. The Astros bullpen of AJ Blubaugh and Steven Okert combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings, with Blubaugh allowing one hit and striking out two over two innings and Okert striking out two in 2/3 of an inning.

Detroit extended its lead in the fifth. Dingler tripled to right field to lead off, but Keith struck out, Torkelson walked, and Zach McKinstry flied out. James Outman struck out to end the inning, leaving Dingler stranded.

The Tigers broke the game open in the seventh. Dingler singled to left, and Keith followed with his second home run, a two-run blast to right field, making it 7-3. Torkelson struck out, and McKinstry and Outman lined out to end the inning.

Houston had a chance in the bottom of the seventh when Jeremy Peña singled with one out, but Yordan Alvarez lined out and Walker grounded out to end the threat.

Detroit tacked on another run in the ninth. After Dingler struck out, Keith hit his third home run of the night, a solo shot to left field, his fourth of the season, to make it 8-3. Torkelson and McKinstry made outs to end the inning.

Finnegan closed the door in the bottom of the ninth. Brice Matthews popped out, Christian Vázquez struck out on a foul tip, and Peña grounded out to shortstop.

McGonigle finished 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and an RBI. Hao-Yu Lee had two singles, and Dingler added a triple and a single. For Houston, Paredes went 1 for 1 with a homer, two RBIs and two walks. Altuve homered and singled. Yordan Alvarez doubled and singled.

The Tigers continue their series with the Astros on Tuesday. Detroit returns home to host the Chicago White Sox on Friday, while Houston hosts the Cleveland Guardians on Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Houston 6, Detroit 5, and the ELO system gave Houston a 55.30 percent probability to win. The Astros were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The combined total of 12 runs went under the over-under line of 8.