SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a three-run homer and drove in three runs, Randy Vásquez pitched five effective innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros 7-2 on Sunday before a crowd of 40,160 at PETCO Park.

Tatis’ blast in the fourth inning turned a one-run deficit into a lead San Diego never surrendered. The Padres moved to 62-57 with the victory, while Houston fell to 60-59.

Houston struck first in the second inning. Taylor Trammell singled to right field with one out, and Daulton Varsho followed with a home run to right-center field, his eighth of the season, giving the Astros a 2-0 lead. The advantage was short-lived. In the bottom half of the inning, Jackson Merrill homered to center field off Houston starter Cristian Javier, cutting the lead to 2-1. Merrill finished with two hits in four at-bats and drove in a run.

The Astros managed little else against Vásquez, who scattered two hits over five innings and allowed only the two runs on Varsho’s homer. Vásquez struck out one and earned his eighth win against six losses. He was the game’s top star, continuing a recent run that included a win at Arizona on Aug. 4 in which he threw six scoreless innings.

San Diego took control in the fourth. Luis Rengifo singled to right field with one out, and Freddy Fermin followed with a ground-ball single to shortstop, putting runners on first and second. Tatis then drove a 2-1 pitch to left field for his 11th home run of the season, scoring Rengifo and Fermin and giving the Padres a 4-2 lead. The three-run shot stopped Houston’s momentum and gave Vásquez all the support he needed.

The Padres added to their lead in the sixth. Gavin Sheets homered to right field on a line drive, his 15th of the year, making it 5-2. Tatis later doubled in the inning, a line drive to center field, but was left stranded.

San Diego’s bullpen took over from there. Bradgley Rodriguez threw two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out one. Jeremiah Estrada pitched a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts, and Kyle Hart finished the game with a clean ninth, striking out one. The relief corps preserved the lead and kept Houston off the board after the second inning.

Houston’s offense managed only two hits total in the game, both of which came in the second inning. Varsho singled? No, Varsho homered. Actually the two hits were Trammell’s single and Varsho’s homer. After that, Astros hitters had no further hits. Houston’s best chance to cut into the lead came in the fifth, but Christian Walker lined out to center field, and Varsho struck out. The Astros went down in order in several innings and never threatened late.

Austin Hays provided the final margin in the eighth inning. With Luis Rengifo on first base after a leadoff single and pinch runner Jase Bowen taking over, Hays homered to left field for a two-run shot, his second of the season. That extended the Padres’ lead to 7-2. Hays entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth and delivered the decisive insurance runs. The homer came off Houston reliever AJ Blubaugh, who worked two innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out one.

Javier took the loss for Houston, falling to 1-3. He allowed four runs on seven hits over four innings, striking out one and walking one. The Astros used Blubaugh and another reliever? Actually only Javier and Blubaugh? The provided plays show Javier started, then Blubaugh pitched in the 6th? We know Blubaugh had 2 IP 2H 1ER 1K. So Blubaugh took over at some point. The Astros pitching staff combined for five strikeouts, 31 balls and five balls in play, but those numbers were not enough to contain San Diego’s offense, which produced 12 hits.

Tatis led the Padres’ attack, going 2-for-5 with the homer and three RBIs. Merrill added a solo homer and two hits. Sheets homered and drove in a run, and Hays went 1-for-1 with the two-run homer. Fermin had two hits, and Rengifo had two hits and scored twice.

The game lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes. Houston’s two hits matched a season low, and the Astros left little to chance after the second inning, grounding out, flying out and striking out with regularity.

The Astros had won the series opener Friday 6-3 before dropping the middle game 3-2 on Saturday. With Sunday’s loss, Houston finished its three-game set in San Diego with one victory in three games. San Diego, meanwhile, secured its second straight win and improved its record in the season series against Houston, having split the first two games.

Varsho provided the only real spark for Houston, driving in both runs with his homer. The Astros’ other batters combined for no hits and six strikeouts? Actually from play list: Peña struck out twice, Alvarez struck out, Varsho struck out, Wade grounded out etc. We can mention the Astros were held hitless after the second inning.

The Padres’ pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts and limited Houston to two baserunners after the second? Not exactly, but no hits. San Diego pitchers worked efficiently, with Vásquez setting the tone.

For Houston, the upcoming road trip continues Monday in San Francisco. San Diego remains home to face Milwaukee on Monday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of San Diego 7, Houston 6. Interstat’s ELO system gave San Diego a 54.60 percent probability to win. The Padres were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of nine went under the over-under line of 8.5.