DETROIT — Aledmys Diaz, Robinson Chirinos, Jake Marisnick and Alex Bregman homered for Houston, and the Astros beat the Detroit Tigers 8-1 on Monday night, extending their winning streak to six games.

Brad Peacock (4-2) allowed a run and three hits in five innings for Houston, which has won 9 of 10. The AL West-leading Astros knocked Matthew Boyd (4-3) out of the game in four innings, the shortest start of the season for the Detroit lefty. He allowed three runs and five hits and threw 96 pitches.

Houston got homers from its No. 6, 8 and 9 hitters before Bregman added his 13th of the year. The Astros scored three runs in a three-batter span in the second inning, then added two more in the seventh and three in the ninth.

Diaz hit a two-out solo shot to open the scoring in the second, and after a walk by Tyler White, Chirinos hit a two-run homer. Grayson Greiner hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth for the Tigers to make it 3-1.

Marisnick’s two-run homer in the seventh gave Houston a four-run lead.

Ryan Pressly pitched the eighth for the Astros, extending his franchise-record scoreless streak to 36 innings.

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George Springer hit an RBI single in the ninth for Houston. Bregman followed with a two-run shot to left.

NOTES

YANKEES: No sooner do the injury-ravaged Yankees finally get a player back than two more go down.

On the same day New York activated center fielder Aaron Hicks for the first time this season, third baseman Miguel Andujar and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga were placed on the 10-day injured list.

The moves Monday left the Yankees with 13 players on the IL. They’ve put 17 on the list for 18 total stints this year – Andujar now twice because of a small labrum tear in his right shoulder. Loaisiga, the rotation replacement for injured James Paxton, has a strained rotator cuff and will be shut down for four weeks.

Despite all the missing firepower, New York (24-16) has received outstanding contributions from several unheralded fill-ins and sits just a half-game behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East.

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Runner-up for 2018 AL Rookie of the Year, Andujar initially was sidelined from April 1 to May 3. He is 3 for 34 since returning and is batting .128 overall (6 for 47) without an extra-base hit.

“Even though he’s passed everything and the strength test has been good and (we) rehabbed him properly, (we) do feel like the injury is certainly a contributing factor to some of the struggles,” Manager Aaron Boone said.

Andujar has been trying to avoid surgery.

“We’ll see. He’s got a couple opinions going into this and both were not surgery suggested,” Boone said. “So, I think we’ll look at this again as far as re-imaging, re-evaluating. So I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily off the table, but I wouldn’t say even more so that it’s on now. It’s just, we’ve got to get a better handle on this and then probably just get him built up in the best way possible, if we can move forward with that.”

Boone said Loaisiga mentioned his shoulder issue Sunday and had an MRI on Monday. He was placed on the IL retroactive to Friday.

The 24-year-old Loaisiga is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance. He gave up four runs over four innings in a loss to Seattle last week.

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“Hopefully, we avoid something serious,” Boone said. “Lo’s an important part of what we’re doing in there. He’s had some important outings for us. So, it’s a blow to us but one that we definitely feel like we can absorb and hopefully get him the right treatment and have him get back in the fold at some point this season.”

Right-hander Luis Cessa was tabbed to start in Loaisiga’s place Monday night against last-place Baltimore – but the game was postponed by rain and wet field conditions. It will be made up Wednesday as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 3:05 p.m.

J.A. Happ will stay on turn and start Tuesday night for the Yankees. Domingo German will pitch the first game Wednesday, and New York is undecided for the nightcap.

Earlier in the day, the Yankees recalled right-hander Chance Adams and lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replenish their pitching staff.

The team opened a spot for Hicks by optioning outfielder Mike Tauchman to the RailRiders following Sunday’s victory at Tampa Bay.

Hicks was in the posted lineup Monday leading off and playing center field after being sidelined since straining his back March 1 in spring training.

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“I feel like he’s one of the most underrated players in the game,” Boone said. “So to get him back, we’re obviously very excited.”

The 29-year-old switch-hitter, who needed two cortisone shots to get healthy, agreed to a $70 million, seven-year contract in February. He went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a homer for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, leaving him 3 for 18 in five minor league rehab games.

“It feels good to finally be back with the team and playing again,” Hicks said.

He said he was told he has a chronic back issue.

“I have a core exercise that I have to do every day now. It’s kind of one of those things that I have to maintain to get the results and make my body feel the way I want it to,” Hicks said. “When I do my core exercises, my back feels good. So that’s kind of what I’m going with and I’m running with it.”

Paxton, sidelined since May 4 with left knee inflammation, was scheduled to play long toss and throw on flat ground Monday. If that goes well, it would lead to a bullpen and the Yankees hope Paxton could return to the rotation before too long – perhaps next week. Boone said the left-hander won’t necessarily need a minor league rehab outing.

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“We feel like he’s moving in the right direction, but we’ll just kind of see,” Boone said.

PHILLIES: Reliever David Robertson was told by Dr. James Andrews not to throw for three weeks to allow the flexor strain in his right elbow time to heal.

Robertson hasn’t pitched since April 14. Philadelphia does not have a timetable for his return, but he is expected to miss at least another month.

ATHLETICS: The Oakland Athletics designated slugger Kendrys Morales for assignment and activated Mark Canha from the 10-day injured list.

Morales was acquired from Toronto on March 27. The 13-year major league veteran appeared in 34 games and hit .204 with one home run and seven RBI with the A’s. Morales is in the final year of a $33 million, three-year deal and is due $12 million this season.

ROYALS: The Royals are bringing up top prospect Nicky Lopez from Triple-A Omaha, and he could make his big league debut when Kansas City opens a series against Texas on Tuesday night.

Right-hander Jake Newberry was optioned to Omaha in a corresponding roster move Monday. The Royals will still need to make a move with their 40-man roster before selecting Lopez’s contract from Omaha and facing the Rangers.

The 24-year-old Lopez was the Royals’ fifth-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft. He was hitting .353 with three homers and nine stolen bases in 31 games for the Storm Chasers, and hit a combined .308 with Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season.


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