NEW YORK — Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres each homered for the third game in a row, providing a pair of two-run shots that sent the New York Yankees past the skidding Houston Astros 4-1 on Friday night for their seventh straight victory.

Aaron Judge was hitless in his return to the lineup – batting leadoff – but James Paxton (5-3) won consecutive starts for the first time with the Yankees, who matched their longest winning streak of the year.

Houston wasted a strong start from Brad Peacock (6-5) and has dropped six in a row for the first time since losing seven straight in June 2016.

Paxton went five-plus innings before handing a slim lead to a shutdown bullpen that delivered again for the AL East leaders.

Adam Ottavino entered after a leadoff double in the sixth and threw 1 1/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts. Zack Britton walked two in the eighth but escaped when Torres started a slick double play with a glove flip from second base to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his 21st save in 23 attempts. He was checked by a trainer after slipping to the turf while fielding Jose Altuve’s bunt single with two outs in the ninth. Then he threw a called third strike past rookie bopper Yordan Alvarez with two aboard to end it.

Houston went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 in all.

Sanchez launched a 481-foot shot deep into the elevated bleachers above and beyond the bullpen in left-center. New York has homered in 24 consecutive games, one short of the franchise record set in 1941.

Sanchez also connected in three straight games May 20-22.

Brett Gardner doubled off reliever Hector Rondon in the seventh and Torres sent an opposite-field drive just over a leaping Josh Reddick at the auxiliary scoreboard in right-center.

Edwin Encarnacion also played some fine defense for the Yankees at first base. The 6-foot-7 Judge, batting leadoff for the first time in his big league career, went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his first game since straining his left oblique on a swing April 20.

Altuve had three infield singles and a walk for the Astros, who still have a comfortable lead in the AL West. Peacock struck out 11 and walked none over six innings in his first start against the Yankees. He gave up two runs and five hits.

Houston scored on successive doubles by Tyler White and Jake Marisnick with two outs in the fourth.

INDIANS 7, TIGERS 6: Jason Kipnis hit a tiebreaking triple in the eighth inning, right fielder Tyler Naquin made a game-saving play in the ninth, and Cleveland held on at home.

Kipnis’ triple – which was initially ruled a home run, a call that was overturned after a replay review – and Jake Bauers’ sacrifice fly put Cleveland ahead 7-5.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

METS 5, CUBS 4: Jeff McNeil homered and drove in three runs while making his first career start in right field, helping New York win at Chicago.

Michael Conforto also connected as the slumping Mets won for just the fourth time in their last 11 games. Brooks Pounders (1-0) got four outs for his first victory since being acquired in a deal with Cleveland last week.

McNeil’s two-run shot off Yu Darvish gave New York a 3-2 lead in the third inning. With two outs and Adeiny Hechavarria on second in the seventh, McNeil pulled an RBI single into right field to break a 4-4 tie.

McNeil also played right as part of an unusual defensive lineup by Manager Mickey Callaway, who was looking for more offense after New York lost 7-4 on Thursday night in the opener of the four-game series. He got his first major league action in right when he played two innings at the position May 21 against Washington.

PIRATES 2, PADRES 1: Joe Musgrove pitched five-hit, one-run ball through seven innings, and Pittsburgh, at home, capitalized on two errors by Manny Machado of San Diego.

Musgrove (5-7) lasted at least seven innings for the second time in four starts, striking out eight. He recovered from being ejected in the first inning June 10 after hitting an Atlanta batter with a pitch, and giving up six runs on nine hits in four innings against the Braves three days later.

Machado, playing his 1,000th major league game, fumbled a grounder from Jung Ho Kang in the seventh before tossing it past first base. Jose Osuna drove in Steven Brault, who was pinch running for Kang, to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.

Pittsburgh reliever Kyle Crick walked the bases loaded in the eighth before getting Franmil Reyes to pop to first to end the inning. Felipe Vazquez gave up one hit in the ninth and picked up his 18th save.

NATIONALS 4, BRAVES 3: Dallas Keuchel labored through five innings in his Atlanta debut, coughing up a 3-0 lead as the Braves lost at Washington.

Keuchel signed a one-year, $13 million contract on July 7 with the NL East-leading Braves, who hope he can help lead them to the postseason. The left-hander then made two minor league starts before he was recalled Friday from Double-A Mississippi.

MARLINS 2, PHILLIES 1: Sandy Alcantara pitched 7 2/3 sharp innings, Bryan Holaday hit a solo homer and Miami won at Philadelphia.

The Phillies have lost five in a row. They’re 6-14 since May 29 and have lost eight games in the standings in that span.

NOTES

INDIANS: Cleveland placed pitcher Mike Clevinger on the 10-day injured list because of a sprained left ankle.

He twisted the ankle while coming off the mound to cover first base in the second inning Tuesday against Texas. He was making his first start since April 7, when he strained a back muscle.

ATHLETICS: Pitcher Frankie Montas was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Montas, a 26-year-old right-hander, is 9-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 13 starts.

RANGERS: Third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera plans to appeal a four-game suspension for throwing equipment on the field that hit an umpire.

Crew chief Bill Miller was hit on the foot by a small shin guard or batting gloves thrown from the dugout by Cabrera after Cabrera was ejected in the sixth inning of a 4-2 win over Cleveland.