The return of star second baseman Jose Altuve from the injured list Friday night after he had missed the previous 17 games with a strained left oblique moved the Astros’ lineup as close to being complete as it's been all season. It marked only the seventh time in 65 games this season that Altuve, Jeremy Peña, Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes had been in the lineup at the same time. The Astros will need that core to stay healthy and remain intact throughout the summer if they’re to keep pushing toward a .500 record and then make a run at a playoff spot in the American League. Any of those hitters is capable of carrying the offense in different stretches, like Paredes has done in the past week. Paredes drove in a career-high four runs, including a three-run homer in the first inning, and starter Peter Lambert allowed one run on a Brent Rooker home in 5 1/3 innings to lead the Astros past the A’s, 5-1, in the opener of a three-game series at Daikin Park. “He’s getting pitches to hit and he’s not missing them,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “When he gets hot, he can really carry our team.” Paredes, the third baseman who was in the lineup at designated hitter Friday, has homered in three consecutive games for the third time in his career, giving him nine for the season. In his last six games, he’s 6-for-20 with four runs, two doubles, three homers, 10 RBIs and four walks. Paredes was slashing .186/.314/.254 with no homers through the first 17 games of the season, but has steadily improved since. Since April 19, he’s hitting .261/.341/.477 with nine homers and has helped Alvarez and Walker keep the offense afloat while Peña and then Altuve missed weeks with injuries. “I started really slow,” Paredes said. “I recognize that, but I think this is a long season and I think at any point it can turn around and I can help the team.”
