ST. PETERSBURG -- Alex Bregman homered for the fourth game in a row and made a nice sliding catch in foul territory in support of starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to lead the Astros to their season-high-tying seventh consecutive win, 3-2, over the Rays on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.

Bregman went 3-for-5 with a single, a double and a homer and scored two runs for the Astros, who stretched their lead in the American League West over the second-place Mariners. Houston (64-55) is a season-high nine games over .500.

Making his third start since coming to the Astros in a trade last month, Kikuchi held the Rays to one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. Houston is 3-0 in games he’s started since the club acquired him from Toronto for three prospects at the Trade Deadline.

The only run Kikuchi allowed came in the second when José Caballero doubled on a ball that Astros left fielder Chas McCormick slow-played, allowing Caballero to take second base. He scored on a Josh Lowe single. Jose Altuve’s fielding error at second base with two outs in the sixth kept Kikuchi from completing six innings for the first time in a Houston uniform.

The Rays pushed a run across in the eighth against Ryan Pressly but left the bases loaded.