Yusei Kikuchi, Jon Singleton lead Astros past Angels

HOUSTON — Jon Singleton ripped a two-run, two-out double to left field in the eighth inning to break a tie and send the Astros a step closer to the American League West title with a 3-1 win over the Angels on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park.

Singleton’s double off reliever Ryan Miller scored Yordan Alvarez and Yainer Diaz, breaking a 1-1 deadlock. The Astros (83-70) remained five games ahead of the second-place Mariners (78-75) in the division, with nine games remaining. Houston can clinch its seventh AL West title in eight seasons as early as Sunday.

The Astros improved to 9-0 in games started by Yusei Kikuchi, who delivered another stellar outing. He allowed one run and five hits while striking out nine batters in six innings. The only run he allowed came on a leadoff homer by Taylor Ward in the first inning on the sixth pitch of the game.

Kikuchi is the first pitcher in Astros history to have the club win his first nine starts with the team.

Angels starter José Suarez, who threw four scoreless innings against the Astros on Friday in Anaheim, held Houston to one unearned run in five innings. That run came in the fourth, when Diaz reached on third baseman Eric Wagaman’s third error of the game and scored on a Victor Caratini single.