Houston, we have no problem this time

Michael Brantley missed the Indians’ run to the World Series.

So it’s understandable why he’s enjoying his comeback from shoulder problems that forced him to miss most of last season.

Brantley drove in three runs and the Indians defeated the Astros, 7-6, on April 26.

“I’m excited to be out there with my teammates and help them,” he said. “Watching from the sidelines, it was tough last year but being out there every day and having fun with the boys and playing baseball again, it’s all I could ask.”

Brantley, who played in only 11 games last season after having two operations on his left shoulder, had an RBI double in Cleveland’s three-run first inning and added a tworun single in the fifth.

“He’s such an unheralded player,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. “After missing most of last year, getting Brantley back is like signing a middleof-the-order bat as a free agent. Just an all-around good hitter.”

Carlos Santana had a two-run double in the sixth for the Indians, who have won six of eight.

Trevor Bauer (2-2) allowed four runs in six innings and won his second straight start despite giving up two-run homers to Evan Gattis and Brian McCann. The right-hander is 6-0 in six career starts against Houston.

Cleveland’s Andrew Miller worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh by striking out Carlos Correa and McCann.

Houston scored two in the eighth off Bryan Shaw, but Cody Allen recorded the final four outs for his fourth save.

Lance McCullers (2-1) gave up five runs in five innings for Houston, which has still won 10 of 13.

Hinch decided to hold Jose Altuve out of the lineup after his star second baseman collided with teammate Teoscar Hernandez on April 25.

Brantley injured his shoulder late in the 2015 season and had surgery for a torn labrum. He returned a month into last season, but the shoulder soreness persisted and he didn’t play after May 9.

After repeated minor league rehab appearances were cut short, Brantley had biceps tendinitis surgery in August.

Brantley finished third in the AL MVP voting in 2014 and was fourth in the league’s batting race the following season. He’s batting .318 with four homers and 15 RBI in 17 games.

“Getting him back in name is one thing but getting him back as the player he was, that’s pretty impressive on his part,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Run-scoring doubles by Brantley and Jose Ramirez and a sacrifice fly by Edwin Encarnacion sparked Cleveland’s first.

Gattis’ two run homer — a 433-foot blast to dead center — cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth. Brantley’s single pushed the lead to 5-2 but McCann’s home run made it a onerun game. Santana’s double moved the lead back to three runs.

Marwin Gonzalez’s tworun double got the lead back to one in the eighth but Allen, pitching for the first time since April 20, retired all four hitters he faced.