HOUSTON -- Luis Valbuena drilled his third home run on the season and the Houston Astros took advantage of some shoddy defense by the Los Angeles Angels in their 4-3 victory Sunday at Minute Maid Park.

Valbuena finished 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. The third baseman's two-run home run off Angels right-hander Garrett Richards spotted the Astros a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

After the Angels pulled even a half-inning later, the Astros (6-6) reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth.

With right fielder George Springer on second base following his two-out infield single and a walk by designated hitter Evan Gattis, Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie struck out, but reached base on Richards' wild pitch. When Angels catcher Drew Butera hurried his throw to first base in an attempt to nab Lowrie and end the inning, his throw plunked Lowrie in the back of his batting helmet and rolled into foul territory, enabling Springer to round third base and score the go-ahead run for the Astros.

One at-bat later, Astros catcher Jason Castro reached on an infield single when Angels third baseman David Freese eschewed a throw to first despite fielding the ball cleanly. Gattis scored for a two-run lead.

Richards (0-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts over five innings in his season debut. He labored to escape a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the first and pitched unevenly throughout, hardly a surprise given his layoff following left knee surgery late last season and the fact he made just one rehab start.

Astros right-hander Scott Feldman (1-2) surrendered a two-run home run to Angels designated hitter C.J. Cron in the fourth inning but otherwise pitched effectively, allowing six hits while striking out three over six innings. Feldman did not issue a walk and has surrendered just one free pass over three starts and 17 2/3 innings this season.

Angels first baseman Albert Pujols smacked a solo home run off Astros right-hander Pat Neshek in the eighth inning, his 25th career home run at Minute Maid Park -- the most by a visiting player. Houston right-hander Luke Gregerson retired the Angels (5-7) in order in the ninth inning to earn his second save and clinch the three-game series.

NOTES: Angels RHP Garrett Richards was activated from the 15-day disabled list and made his season debut, completing his return from left knee surgery last August. Richards made one rehab start for Triple-A Salt Lake City last Tuesday. Richards was 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA before rupturing his left patellar tendon on Aug. 20, 2014, at Fenway Park. ... With Astros CF Jake Marisnick out of the lineup, Colby Rasmus made his second start in center field. Rasmus was primarily a center fielder before signing with the Astros during the offseason, having made 680 of his 696 career starts there. ... Starting Monday, the Angels will be in the state of California for 24 consecutive days, a stretch that includes two home stands and a six-game road trip to Oakland and San Diego.