HOUSTON — Brett Oberholtzer threw seven shutout innings, and L.J. Hoes scored twice to lead the Houston Astros to a 2-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
Oberholtzer (2-0) allowed four hits while walking two and striking out two. In his first two career starts, Oberholtzer has thrown 14 scoreless innings, allowing seven hits.
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Hoes and Jonathan Villar each had two hits for the Astros, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Houston took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Hoes led off with a single and stole second and scored on a single by Robbie Grossman.
The Astros added a run in the seventh to make it 2-0.
Hoes led off the inning with a double and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by Brandon Barnes off Junichi Tazawa.
The Red Sox, who lost for the second time in their past seven games, put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth after a David Ortiz bloop single off Wesley Wright advanced Jacoby Ellsbury to third, but Josh Fields struck out Mike Napoli to end the inning.
Fields struck out the side in the ninth for his first save of the season.
Oberholtzer did not allow a hit until Dustin Pedroia’s single in the fourth. He was caught stealing to end the inning.
Stephen Drew laced a two-out double to right in the fifth but was left stranded.
Boston threatened in the sixth with a two-out single by Pedroia and a walk to Ortiz, but Oberholtzer got a groundout by Napoli to second to end the inning.
The Red Sox threatened again in the seventh as Jonny Gomes led off with a double and moved to third on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia flyout to right. Oberholtzer got out of the jam by striking out Drew and Brandon Snyder to end the inning.
Boston starter John Lackey appeared to have rolled his left ankle to end the second inning, coming off the mound for a soft chopper hit by Matt Dominguez. Lackey threw to first for the third out and hobbled off the field with a trainer and coach but came back out for the third inning.
Lackey (7-9) allowed two runs and eight hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings. He has lost three straight decisions.
NOTES: Red Sox OF Shane Victorino was named AL Player of the Week Monday for the week of July 29-August 4. … Boston recalled RHP Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Daniel Nava’s spot on the roster. Nava is on paternity leave.
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