Few Red Sox games this season have begun as well as Tuesday night in Houston, when three consecutive extra-base hits by Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Triston Casas gave Boston an immediate 3-0 lead.

Few Red Sox games have gone downhill as quickly, either, as Nick Pivetta gave those runs right back in the bottom of the first.

That was only the beginning of an arduous contest that was equal parts baseball and tug-o-war, which finally culminated in a 6-5 Red Sox victory after nearly three hours.

It was Duran’s night from the very first pitch, which he turned into his American League-leading 38th double of the season. He’d finish the night 4-for-4 with three runs, two batted in, and a walk. It was his fourth four-hit game of the season, but his first since the All-Star break. His eight total bases led the lineup.

The Red Sox leadoff man, often described by his manager Alex Cora as the team’s “spark plug,” also capped off his night with yet another difference-making knock: Duran’s 17th home run of the season, a solo blast to left-center, gave Boston back the lead in the top of the eighth. This time, they wouldn’t relinquish it.

It was also a big night for Casas. Through his first four games back from a “freak” rib cartilage injury in late April, the Red Sox first baseman had collected five hits, including a pair of two-hit performances, but no extra-base knocks. He hadn’t homered or driven in a run since April 19, the day before his injury. But with the count 1-1, Astros starter Ronel Blanco served up a slider and the Red Sox first baseman blasted it 384 feet to right for a two-run homer.

Casas also fell victim to a new peculiarity: the automatic strike. Houston had gotten one in the series opener, and Boston would do the same in the middle game of the set. With the bases loaded, Casas attempted to call a second time-out, and received an automatic strike to become the second out of the inning.

“I am my biggest critic,” Casas told NESN’s Jahmai Webster.

It was an unremarkable night for both starting pitchers, who each allowed five earned runs on six hits. Entering the contest, the Red Sox pitching staff had allowed 59 home runs since the All-Star break; no other team had given up more than 47. And for the fifth consecutive game, Pivetta gave up multiple homers, tying the franchise record Josh Beckett set in 2009. Over five innings, he allowed five earned runs on six hits, issued three walks, struck out two, and gave up a pair of home runs to Jon Singleton and Yainer Diaz. Blanco didn’t make it out of the fourth.

After a very rough month for the Boston bullpen, Tuesday night was a refreshing change of pace. Greg Weissert, Zack Kelly, and Luis García each pitched a scoreless inning. For García, especially, it was a key bounce-back performance after giving up at least one run in six consecutive appearances.

Ironically, the bullpen fared better protecting a tied game and a slim lead than they had with larger margins in recent games. Not that the Red Sox didn’t have chances to add on. As is often the case, they put themselves in positions to succeed, then squandered them, going 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base.

Entering Tuesday, 28 of 30 MLB teams had at least one grand slam under their belt this year. The last two teams standing salami-less were playing in Houston. But after Casas’ frustrating automatic out, Rafael Devers struck out swinging, completing yet another fruitless frame.

Only three teams have homered more on the road than the Red Sox, but the slam continues to elude them. Capitalizing on opportunities, in general, has been a struggle. The Red Sox came into the contest leading the American League (and second in the Majors) with 1,140 hits. However, they held the same spot in the left-on-base rankings, having stranded 889 men.

The Red Sox also lead the Majors in Productive Out Opportunities, a metric measuring the various opportunities to advance or drive in a baserunner when making an out. Boston’s 129 successful Productive Outs Made was tied for fifth-most in the Majors, but their 27.2% Productive Outs Percentage is firmly below league average and ranks 11th-worst.

The Red Sox left the bases loaded twice, including in the top of the ninth, so Kenley Jansen entered looking to close out a one-run game. He, too, gave the Astros no quarter. A 1-2-3 ninth cemented one of Boston’s gutsiest, oddest wins of the season.

“We knew we were gonna have our hands full coming into the week, with this series,” Casas said. “We’re playing good baseball, and today was a full team effort.”

The series concludes Wednesday afternoon with Cooper Criswell and Justin Verlander on the mound. The Red Sox have Thursday off, then return to Fenway Park on Friday to host the Arizona Diamondbacks for the weekend.