HOUSTON -- Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona spoke to expectations and how they don't change regarding personnel, whether stars or stop-gaps.

Still, what right-hander Mike Clevinger delivered Saturday was unexpected and enticing.

Clevinger carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Cleveland Indians secured a series win over the Houston Astros with a 3-0 victory at Minute Maid Park.

Making just his third start of the season and fourth appearance for the Indians (22-19), Clevinger (2-1) didn't allow a hit until Astros second baseman Jose Altuve opened the bottom of the seventh with a sharp single just inside third base.

Clevinger followed by inducing a double-play grounder off the bat of Carlos Correa and a harmless fly ball from Carlos Beltran. He departed after Astros catcher Evan Gattis smoked a leadoff single to left field in the eighth inning.

"When guys like this step up and give you a game like that, it gives everybody a big lift," Francona said.

Clevinger worked a career-high seven innings, allowing two hits and two walks with a career-best eight strikeouts. He retired the first 10 batters he faced and, after Josh Reddick reached on an error by first baseman Edwin Encarnacion in the fourth, Clevinger worked around a two-out walk to Correa by getting Beltran to fly out.

"This is a first-place team," Clevinger said. "This is a really good team. So every inning you go out there and there's a zero on the board in the hit column, you're going to notice it. So this was one of those games you definitely see it.

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

When Reddick walked with two outs in the sixth, catcher Yan Gomes erased him as he attempted to swipe second base with Altuve at the plate in a two-run game.

Astros right-hander Mike Fiers (1-2) allowed an RBI single to Jason Kipnis in the second inning and a titanic home run to Lonnie Chisenhall in the fourth, a 446-foot blast to straightaway center field. It was Chisenhall's sixth homer and the 17th Fiers has surrendered this year, tops in the majors.

Fiers allowed two runs (one earned), six hits and one walk with three strikeouts in six innings.

"I felt great," Fiers said. "I made good pitches. I challenged guys in the zone and pitched more to contact. I tried to keep them off-balance. They have a good lineup over there, so you got to really make your pitches."

The Astros (29-14) dropped just their third series overall this season and their second to the Indians, who have won four of five games against Houston.

"They are good, and so are we," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I think these games have been close. There were some small advantages one way or another that have really flipped the game. They swung their bats really well the last couple games. That combined with once they get the lead, they are really tough.

"They play pretty good defense and have a good bullpen. That puts a lot of anxiousness and pressure on the middle part of the game where you start losing that lead a little bit, they tack on runs."

NOTES: Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel was placed on the 10-day disabled list (retroactive to Wednesday) with a pinched nerve in his neck. After working five innings against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night, Keuchel experienced neck discomfort the following morning. He was examined Thursday and the club is hopeful that with rest he will miss just one start. RHP Brad Peacock will start Monday night against the Detroit Tigers in place of Keuchel. ... Indians 1B Edwin Encarnacion started in the field for the first time since May 6 and the ninth time overall this season. Encarnacion had made 11 consecutive starts as the designated hitter. Indians manager Terry Francona wants to avoid locking Encarnacion into the role as the everyday DH. ... Astros LHP Ashur Tolliver was recalled from Triple-A Fresno to fill the roster void left by Keuchel. Tolliver (2-0, 2.70 ERA with Fresno) limited batters to a .152 average in 10 relief appearances but also posted a walk rate of 17.2 percent.