<p>HOUSTON &mdash; Luis Garcia threw a career-high seven innings, Jose Altuve homered and the Houston Astros beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Tuesday night for their third straight victory.</p>
<p>Garcia (4-3) permitted one run and six hits, retiring 11 of 12 batters over one stretch. The right-hander struck out six and walked one in his fourth consecutive win.</p>
<p>Altuve led off the first with his eighth homer, a drive to left-center against Garrett Richards (4-4). It was Altuve’s third leadoff homer this season.</p>
<p>Chas McCormick drove in Yordan Alvarez with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Houston opened a 5-1 lead with three runs in the seventh</p>
<p>Kyle Tucker, who had three hits, scored on an error by second baseman Marwin Gonzale. Carlos Correa drove in Myles Straw with a bases-loaded walk, and Alvarez had a run-scoring infield single.</p>
<p>Alvarez had two hits in his return to the lineup after missing five games with a sore right wrist. The Astros won despite going 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.</p>
<p>Richards surrendered two runs and four hits in six innings. He has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last four starts.</p>
<p>Boston pitchers walked eight, including Altuve three times. Alex Verdugo had two hits for the Red Sox.</p>
<p>TRAINER’S ROOM</p>
<p>Astros: OF Michael Brantley (right hamstring tightness) has been hitting and ran on Tuesday, manager Dusty Baker said. Brantley likely won’t need a rehab assignment and could be back early in the next road trip, which starts Friday, Baker said. … 1B Yuli Gurriel (left middle finger inflammation) returned to the lineup after missing three games. He went 0 for 3.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>RHP Nick Pivetta (6-0, 3.86 ERA) starts Wednesday for Boston, and the Astros will send LHP Framber Valdez (0-0, 2.25) to the mound in the third game of the four-game series.</p>