HOUSTON (Interstat) — Houston scored three runs in the fifth and sixth innings to break open a tie game and Peter Lambert pitched six strong innings as the Astros defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Daikin Park.

The Astros improved to 35-41, while the Tigers fell to 30-44 in the series finale before 31,476 fans in a game that lasted 2 hours, 22 minutes.

Lambert (6-4) allowed one run on two hits over six innings, striking out five and walking one. Josh Hader pitched the ninth inning for his fourth save, striking out two.

Casey Mize (2-4) took the loss for Detroit, allowing four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked three.

The Tigers managed only three hits in the game, but two of them were solo home runs. Kerry Carpenter led off the seventh with a homer to left, his 10th of the season, and Kevin McGonigle led off the ninth with a homer to left, his sixth. Those accounted for Detroit’s only runs.

Houston outhit Detroit 9-3 and scored in three separate innings.

The game was scoreless through the first two innings as Lambert set down the first six Tigers in order, striking out two. Mize matched him, allowing only a double to Cam Smith in the second but stranding him.

The Astros broke through in the third. With one out, Jeremy Peña drove a 1-1 pitch from Mize deep to left field for a solo home run, his fourth of the season. Peña’s homer put Houston ahead 1-0.

Detroit threatened in the top of the fourth when Dillon Dingler singled to center with two outs, but Riley Greene struck out on a foul tip to end the inning.

Houston extended its lead in the fifth. Christian Vázquez led off with a single to center. After Jeremy Peña grounded out, moving Vázquez to second, Yordan Alvarez doubled sharply to center, scoring Vázquez to make it 2-0. Christian Walker lined out, but Isaac Paredes followed with a double to left, scoring Alvarez from second to push the lead to 3-0. Jose Altuve grounded out to end the inning.

The Astros added a run in the sixth. Joey Loperfido led off with a double to center, his sixth of the season. Jake Meyers walked and Christian Vázquez walked to load the bases. Peña then singled to right, scoring Loperfido. Right fielder Kerry Carpenter threw home in an attempt to get Meyers, but the tag play was upheld after a Houston challenge, and Meyers was called out at the plate. Alvarez grounded out to end the inning with Houston leading 4-0.

Detroit finally got on the board in the seventh. After Riley Greene flied out and Spencer Torkelson popped out, Carpenter crushed a solo homer to left, cutting the deficit to 4-1. Colt Keith flied out to end the inning.

The Tigers mounted a rally in the ninth. McGonigle led off with a solo homer to left, his sixth of the season, making it 4-2. But Hader settled down, striking out Dingler, Greene and Torkelson in succession to end the game.

Key offensive performances for Houston included Peña’s home run and RBI single, Alvarez’s run-scoring double, Paredes’ RBI double, Loperfido’s double and a double by Cam Smith. Vázquez had a single and a walk. For Detroit, Carpenter and McGonigle each homered, and Dingler had the Tigers’ only other hit, a single.

The win was Houston’s second in three games against Detroit in the series. The Astros lost the opener 9-3 on Monday before winning 4-2 on Tuesday and again Wednesday.

Detroit now returns home to host the Chicago White Sox for a three-game series beginning Friday. Houston will host the Cleveland Guardians for a weekend series starting Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Detroit Tigers 5, Houston Astros 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Houston a 54.20 percent probability to win. Detroit had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of six went over the over-under line of eight.