DETROIT (Interstat) — Tatsuya Imai struck out 10 over six innings of two-hit ball, Taylor Trammell homered and the Houston Astros edged the Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Thursday night at Comerica Park.

The Astros improved to 40-43 with their second straight win, while the Tigers fell to 34-47. Attendance was 25,066 and the game lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes.

Imai, who earned his fifth win against three losses, allowed two hits and no earned runs while walking one. He rebounded strongly from a rough outing June 12 at Kansas City in which he surrendered five runs in two-thirds of an inning. Imai struck out the side in the second and third innings and retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.

Troy Melton took the loss despite a quality start, allowing one earned run on two hits over six innings with six strikeouts. The right-hander fell to 4-1.

Enyel De Los Santos earned his fifth save despite allowing a solo homer to Dillon Dingler in the ninth inning.

Houston scratched out single runs in the sixth and ninth innings. Trammell broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff homer to right field in the sixth, his second of the season. The blast came on a 1-1 pitch from Melton.

The Astros added a crucial insurance run in the ninth against Tigers reliever Kenley Jansen. Jeremy Peña led off with a sharp line-drive single to left, moved to third on a groundout by Yordan Alvarez and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Isaac Paredes.

Detroit mounted a late rally in the bottom of the ninth against De Los Santos. Dingler led off with his 19th homer of the season, a drive to center that cut the lead to 2-1. Riley Greene followed with a sharp single to right. But Colt Keith grounded into a game-ending double play, first baseman Christian Walker to shortstop Peña, erasing Greene at second.

Peña finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. Christian Walker and Cam Smith each singled for Houston, which managed five hits total. Dingler had two of Detroit’s five hits, including the homer.

AJ Blubaugh pitched two scoreless innings of relief for Houston, allowing one hit and striking out three. Tyler Holton retired the side in order in the seventh for Detroit, and Kyle Finnegan pitched a scoreless eighth with one strikeout.

Kevin McGonigle and Hao-Yu Lee each singled for the Tigers, who left five runners on base and struck out 13 times.

Houston’s defense turned two double plays, including the game-ending twin killing in the ninth.

The Astros took two of three from Detroit earlier this season at Minute Maid Park, winning 4-2 on June 16 and 17 after a 9-3 loss June 15.

The most important moment came in the bottom of the ninth, when Dingler’s solo homer brought the Tigers within one and Greene kept the inning alive. But Keith’s double play ended the threat and sealed Houston’s victory. Imai’s dominant start set the tone, as he allowed just two singles and matched his season high for strikeouts.

Houston’s relievers combined for three innings of one-run ball, with Blubaugh striking out three in the seventh and eighth. De Los Santos navigated the ninth despite allowing two hits.

Detroit’s bullpen also performed well until the ninth. Holton allowed one hit in a scoreless seventh, and Finnegan retired three straight in the eighth. Jansen, however, gave up two hits and a run in the ninth to take the loss.

The Tigers had their best chance earlier in the game when Greene singled with two outs in the fourth, but Colt Keith lined out to center to end the inning. Detroit also put a runner on in the sixth when McGonigle singled with one out, but Kerry Carpenter flied out and Dingler struck out.

Houston squandered opportunities as well, stranding a runner in scoring position in the sixth after Peña singled with two outs. The Astros also left a runner on first in the eighth when Cam Smith singled but was forced out at second on a grounder by Jake Meyers.

The game featured a pitchers’ duel through the first five innings, with Imai and Melton matching zeros. Imai struck out nine through five, fanning McGonigle twice, Dingler twice and Spencer Torkelson twice. Melton countered with five strikeouts of his own, including back-to-back punchouts of the top of the Houston order in the first inning.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Houston 6-5. Interstat’s ELO system had given Detroit a 50.90 percent probability to win. The Tigers were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 3 went over the over-under line of 8.5.