Houston third baseman Alex Bregman was the first to acknowledge that the Astros' 4-1 win at Oakland on Sunday provided a welcome respite from their five-game losing skid, yet there remains work ahead in terms of reaching goals immediate and long term.

The Astros stretched their lead over the Athletics to 7 1/2 games in the American League West with the victory and set the table for what could be a significant 10-game homestand, which opens Monday against the Detroit Tigers.

Houston was rolling just one week ago, carrying an eight-game win streak into its finale at Baltimore before losing in walk-off fashion to open a week that featured six losses in eight games on the back of an overworked bullpen.