Jon Singleton hits 1st HR in 8 years, then does it again in Astros' rout

Jon Singleton posted his first career multi-home run game while Justin Verlander won in his 500th career start as the Houston Astros walloped the visiting Los Angeles Angels 11-3 Friday.

Singleton, signed by Houston as a minor league free agent on June 24 and recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, went 3-for-4 with a walk and a career-high five RBIs in his first appearance at Minute Maid Park for the Astros since Sept. 25, 2015. It was a memorable return.

The Astros erased a 1-0 deficit when Singleton bashed a 2-0 fastball from Angels left-hander Reid Detmers 390 feet down the right-field line and into the upper deck, a three-run homer that plated Yainer Diaz and Mauricio Dubon after both recorded singles to open the second inning.

Singleton homered for the first time since July 29, 2015 -- also against the Angels -- a span of eight years and 13 days, the longest such stretch between homers for a position player since Rafael Belliard went 10 years and 144 days between home runs. But Singleton wasn't finished.

Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez extended the lead to 5-1 with run-scoring, fielder's choice grounders as the Astros batted around in the second. Singleton chased Detmers (2-9) with a two-run shot with one out in the third, plating Dubon while depositing the ball in the same vicinity in right. That 389-foot blast lifted the Astros to a 7-2 lead as Detmers suffered his fourth consecutive losing decision by allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings.

It was a rousing performance for the bottom third of the Astros lineup. In addition to the exploits from Singleton, who batted seventh, Houston got multi-hit games from shortstop Jeremy Pena (3-for-4 with two runs) and nine-hole hitter Martin Maldonado, who recorded three hits in his first three at-bats -- including a two-run single in the fourth that plated Singleton and Pena.

Verlander (7-6) made his first start in Houston since being re-acquired by the Astros at the trade deadline. He became the 50th pitcher in history to record 500 career starts, delivering a quality start in the process by allowing three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts over six innings.

Verlander allowed a solo home run to C.J. Cron, his 12th this season, in the second and run-scoring singles to Luis Rengifo and Brandon Drury in the third and sixth, respectively.