Chas McCormick (2 HRs), Astros tee off on Red Sox

Chas McCormick's third multi-homer game of the season helped the Houston Astros overcame another shaky start from Cristian Javier while snapping a three-game skid with a 9-4 victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Monday.

McCormick struck the decisive blow that completed a rally from an early three-run deficit and helped snap Boston's three-game winning streak. Houston had already secured a 4-3 lead with a three-run second inning, but McCormick provided a bit of cushion with his 18th home run, a three-run blast with two outs in the fourth that carried 368 feet to left field off Red Sox starter James Paxton (7-4).

Paxton never quite settled in despite taking the mound with a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The first three batters he faced reached safely, and Jose Altuve later scored when Yordan Alvarez lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. Paxton stranded the bases full to elude additional danger, but the Astros responded with a trio of run-scoring hits in the second to take the lead.

Houston notched five hits in the second, with Martin Maldonado delivering an RBI double that plated Jake Meyers before Alex Bregman and Alvarez added RBI singles that pushed the Astros ahead. Paxton retired the side in order with ease in the third but the fourth was troublesome.

Paxton issued one-out walks to Bregman and Kyle Tucker to set the table for McCormick, who rode a high fastball into the left-field seats. Paxton surrendered two more hits in the fourth before finally escaping, but he allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks in four innings.

Javier (9-2), who won for just the second time since June 3, had just one quality start over his previous nine starts. He labored through a 32-pitch first inning that included a three-run home run by Adam Duvall, his 12th. Javier stranded two runners in the second, two in the third and two more runners in the fourth before allowing the first two runners to reach in the fifth.

Javier rallied with three consecutive outs to cap his start. He needed a season-high-tying 105 pitches to work five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts. The Houston bullpen preserved the lead, and McCormick homered again in the eighth as part of back-to-back blasts with Yainer Diaz, who socked his 18th dinger.