Clevinger no-hitter broken up in 7th

HOUSTON — The Indians have needed someone to step up with ace Corey Kluber on the disabled list with a back problem.

Mike Clevinger filled that role Saturday, pitching no-hit ball into the seventh inning before Andrew Miller and Cody Allen completed a three-hitter for a 3-0 victory over the Astros.

“I just thought he was terrific,” manager Terry Francona said. “They present so many challenges as a lineup, and he continued to make pitches. You see a young pitcher come up and do something like that, it makes that glass look a lot more half full.”

Clevinger (2-1) yielded two hits and struck out a career-high eight in seven-plus innings, the longest outing of his career.

“This is the Cleveland Indians making a statement,” he said. “We might have hit a little lull, but we’re a good ball team and we’re a team to still look out for.”

The Astros didn’t get their first hit until Jose Altuve singled sharply down the left-field line with no out in the seventh inning.

“He had a day where he was on, and we couldn’t figure him out,” the Astros’ Josh Reddick said.

Clevinger was lifted after Evan Gattis singled with no out in the eighth. Miller struck out two in the eighth before Allen allowed one hit in the ninth to convert his 12th save in as many opportunities and give him 21 straight dating to Aug. 18.

Clevinger, who had thrown one-third of an inning in relief Tuesday, hadn’t pitched longer than 52⁄3 innings before Saturday.

Lonnie Chisenhall homered off Mike Fiers with two out in the fourth to make it 2-0. Fiers has given up a major-league-high 17 home runs in eight starts this season. He allowed six hits and two runs, one earned, in six innings.