HOUSTON -- If anyone needed a shot in the arm and a boost of confidence, it was Astros shortstop Jonathan Villar. He came into Friday's game against the Orioles having been held hitless in his previous seven games and needing something -- anything -- to get him going.How about a game-winning hit?The Astros rallied for their seventh win in a row on back-to-back RBI doubles by Robbie Grossman and Villar, who snapped an 0-for-26 drought with his go-ahead hit, in a 2-1 victory over the Orioles in the Civil Rights Game before 38,482 fans at Minute Maid Park. 
It's the Astros' longest winning streak since reeling off seven in a row July 27-Aug. 3, 2010.The victory capped a day of celebration in Houston that included the Beacon Awards Luncheon, which honored Motown founder Berry Gordy, Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown and author and poet Maya Angelou, who passed away earlier this week. Brown and Gordy were recognized prior to the game, and two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman threw out the ceremonial first pitch.Astros starter Brett Oberholtzer (2-6) then took the ball and fired seven innings for his second consecutive win, allowing four hits, one run and no walks in his second start since being called back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the second, when Adam Jones began the inning with a double and scored on a single by J.J. Hardy one out later that shot right through the glove of third baseman Matt Dominguez.The Astros, whose offense has been roaring in the last few weeks, didn't get their first hit until Jose Altuve hit a one-out infield single in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to nine games with his 77th hit of the season. He stole second base, but was stranded.Dominguez led off the seventh with a double into the right-field corner and was still at second with one out when Alex Presley shot a single to right. Dominguez, who doesn't run well, was held at third base on the throw to the plate, but Presley tried to take second and was thrown out by catcher Caleb Joseph.Grossman scored Dominguez to tie the game with a double just over the head of left fielder Steve Pearce, and Villar followed with a fly ball into the gap in right-center that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double to score Dominguez, putting the Astros ahead, 2-1.George Springer went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts to snap his 11-game hitting streak.Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
It's the Astros' longest winning streak since reeling off seven in a row July 27-Aug. 3, 2010.The victory capped a day of celebration in Houston that included the Beacon Awards Luncheon, which honored Motown founder Berry Gordy, Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown and author and poet Maya Angelou, who passed away earlier this week. Brown and Gordy were recognized prior to the game, and two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman threw out the ceremonial first pitch.Astros starter Brett Oberholtzer (2-6) then took the ball and fired seven innings for his second consecutive win, allowing four hits, one run and no walks in his second start since being called back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the second, when Adam Jones began the inning with a double and scored on a single by J.J. Hardy one out later that shot right through the glove of third baseman Matt Dominguez.The Astros, whose offense has been roaring in the last few weeks, didn't get their first hit until Jose Altuve hit a one-out infield single in the sixth inning to extend his hitting streak to nine games with his 77th hit of the season. He stole second base, but was stranded.Dominguez led off the seventh with a double into the right-field corner and was still at second with one out when Alex Presley shot a single to right. Dominguez, who doesn't run well, was held at third base on the throw to the plate, but Presley tried to take second and was thrown out by catcher Caleb Joseph.Grossman scored Dominguez to tie the game with a double just over the head of left fielder Steve Pearce, and Villar followed with a fly ball into the gap in right-center that bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double to score Dominguez, putting the Astros ahead, 2-1.George Springer went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts to snap his 11-game hitting streak.Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
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