BOSTON -- Clay Buchholz provided his own fireworks at the ballpark Saturday.

Hours before the city of Boston was treated to its annual Independence Day fireworks celebration, the Red Sox right-hander unleashed a burst of rockets to strike out eight and go the distance in Boston's 6-1 victory over the Houston Astros 6-1 at Fenway Park.

"A lot of things have to go right for things like that to happen, but I could throw any pitch I wanted to today," Buchholz said. "It doesn't happen like that very often."

Buchholz (7-6) retired 12 batters in a row between the second and fifth innings before Astros catcher Hank Conger singled to center to lead off the sixth.

Buchholz allowed one run on six hits in nine innings and has posted a 0.87 ERA in his last four starts for Boston (38-45).

"He's been on a run the last 10 starts where he's been in control," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "That was the case again today for the full nine innings of work."

Buchholz, who improved to 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in four career starts against Houston, is 5-2 with a 1.99 ERA in his last 10 outings dating to May 15.

"He's the guy," Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts said. "For him to continue to just do what he's been doing is impressive, and being able to play behind him and watch him put up all those zeroes gives our offense plenty of confidence to put up some runs behind him."

Betts went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs to lead the Boston bats, while shortstop Xander Bogaerts was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Catcher Sandy Leon went 3-for-4 and left fielder Hanley Ramirez went 0-for-4 as his team-high, eight-game hitting streak ended.

Collin McHugh (9-4), facing the Red Sox for the first time in his career, came up short in pursuit of his 10th win for Houston (48-35).

The right-hander took the loss and was charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out one in 5 1/3 innings.

"His fastball eluded him a little bit today," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "His command and execution wasn't up to his norm."

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a ninth-inning single and went 1-for-4 as Houston suffered its first lost in the last six games.

"We've been playing good baseball," said Conger, who was 1-for-3. "So for (Buchholz) to go out there and play the way he did right there, hats off. Just move on to Sunday."

Boston scored three runs in the first five innings.

Bogaerts' first-inning ground single to right plated Betts from third for the game's first run. Betts' sacrifice fly to left an inning later brought right fielder Shane Victorino home to make it 2-0.

Brock Holt's bunt in the third drew a two-base throwing error from Conger to put the second baseman in scoring position. Bogaerts doubled to left to bring him home.

Betts tacked on two more runs with an RBI-double to left in the sixth and another to deep center in the eighth.

Alejandro De Aza, who entered as a defensive replacement for Ramirez in the eighth, capped the Red Sox scoring with an infield RBI-single with the bases loaded in the eighth, winning a foot race with Astros first baseman Jon Singleton.

Third baseman Luis Valbuena singled up the middle with two gone in the ninth to score Altuve from third and account for the Astros' run.

Houston squandered an early opportunity with a runner on third and one out in the second, as back-to-back strikeouts from center fielder Colby Rasmus and Singleton ended the inning.

NOTES: The Astros and Red Sox wore American flag-themed caps and jerseys to celebrate Independence Day. ... Houston was limited to one base runner in the first five innings and has lost 11 of 16 games all-time against Boston, including seven of 10 at Fenway Park ... The Astros optioned OF Domingo Santana to Triple-A Fresno and will activate OF Jake Marisnick before Sunday's game. ... Houston 2B Jose Altuve has a career batting average of .125 (2-for-16) against Red Sox starting RHP Clay Buchholz. ... Buchholz is the first Boston pitcher to pitch a complete game on Independence Day since Paul Quantrill in 1993. ... Red Sox manager John Farrell is considering activating 2B Dustin Pedroia (right hamstring strain) for the final three games before the All-Star break. ... Boston recalled RHP Steven Wright from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned RHP Noe Ramirez, who lost his major league debut Friday, back to Pawtucket.