DETROIT-George Springer made a diving catch in the eighth inning to help preserve Houston's lead, and the Astros swept a series at Comerica Park for the first time, wrapping up a three-game set with a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
The Tigers had a man on first with two outs in the eighth when Dawel Lugo hit a line drive down the line in right field. Springer made a diving catch. If he had missed and the ball had skipped past, the tying run would have scored.
It was the 13th series sweep of the season for the Astros, who have won 10 of their last 11 games. Houston entered with a three-game lead over Oakland atop the AL West.
Gerrit Cole (14-5) allowed two runs and three hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out nine.
Josh James pitched three innings in relief, allowing a two-run homer by Nicholas Castellanos in the seventh that pulled the Tigers within a run. Ryan Pressly pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.
James McCann also homered for Detroit. Daniel Norris (0-4) allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Houston trailed 2-1 before scoring four runs in the fifth. Alex Bregman put the Astros ahead with a two-run double, and Tyler White added a sacrifice fly. An RBI double by Marwin Gonzalez made it 5-2.
Bregman opened the scoring with an RBI single in the third. Mikie Mahtook answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, and McCann led off the Detroit fourth with a homer.
The Astros swept a three-game series at Tiger Stadium in 1998, but they'd never done it at Detroit's current ballpark, which opened in 2000.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: C Martin Maldonado was shaken up in the fifth when Detroit's Ronny Rodriguez caught him on the left arm with the bat while following through on a swing. Maldonado stayed in the game.
Tigers: SS Niko Goodrum left the game with a right quad contusion after he collided with LF Christin Stewart when Stewart went to the ground to make the catch on a shallow fly in the second.
UP NEXT
Houston is off Thursday before hosting a three-game series against Arizona. Dallas Keuchel (11-10) starts the opener for the Astros on Friday night.
Detroit also has an off day before three games at Cleveland. Matthew Boyd (9-12) takes the mound for the Tigers on Friday night against Josh Tomlin (1-5).