OAKLAND (AP) — Josh Phegley had two hits and drove in a run, Danny Valencia hit a home run and Sonny Gray won a pitching duel with Dallas Keuchel as the Oakland Athletics beat the Houston Astros 3-1 on Friday night.

Gray (12-4) improved to 5-1 over his last 11 starts by giving up one run and five hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter in his third complete game, all within his last six starts.

Billy Burns had two hits and drove in a run and Marcus Semien had three hits as the A’s improved to 4-3 over their past seven games.

Luis Valbuena hit his 21st home run for the Astros, who have lost four of five.

Keuchel (13-6) gave up three runs and 10 hits in 7 2-3 innings. He walked two and struck out three. The Astros had beaten Oakland the previous six times Keuchel started.

The A’s took a 1-0 lead in the second. Phegley, Semien and Mark Canha singled to load the bases. After Keuchel struck out Sam Fuld, Burns hit a sacrifice fly.

Valencia’s first home run with the A’s, leading off the third, put Oakland ahead 2-0.

Valbuena crushed a 3-2 pitch from Gray over the fence in right field to close the gap to 2-1.

Phegley doubled home Brett Lawrie, who had been hit by a pitch, in the fifth for the final margin.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: OF Preston Tucker (right arm contusion) was in the starting lineup Friday night after missing two games.

Athletics: OF Josh Reddick, nursing a sore back, was out of the starting lineup Friday night against Keuchel. Reddick is 1 for 15 lifetime against Keuchel. ... The A’s acquired minor-league RHP Darwin Frias from the New York Mets on Friday as the player to be named in the Aug. 4 trade of LHP Eric O’Flaherty. Frias, 23 was assigned to Class-A Vermont.

UP NEXT:

Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (13-5, 4.27) has won four straight decisions. He’s 2-0 against the A’s with a 1.26 ERA. McHugh has recorded 18 strikeouts in 14 1-3 innings against Oakland.

Athletics: RHP Jesse Chavez (5-11, 3.88) is 1-2 with a 6.62 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break. He’s 2-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 20 appearances, including four starts, against the Astros.