HOUSTON - Dustin Pedroia’s astounding week continues. He hit a smash single past a lunging Geoff Blum in his first at-bat yesterday, then followed with a solo homer leading off the third inning.

That gave him 12 hits in 16 at-bats and extended his hitting streak to seven games. It also extended his hitting streak of multi-hit games to four. He has had multi-hit games 10 times in the last 14 games.

Pedroia later reached on a fielder’s choice then struck out with the bases loaded in the fifth and flied to center in the eighth. He finished the series with nine hits in 14 at-bats.

Pedroia played through a series of undisclosed ailments late last month and early this month but has more than made up for it since.

“I was banged up for three weeks,” said Pedroia. “I knew once I got healthy again I would be OK. I thought it would take a lot longer to get back to .300, but I’ve just been concentrating on having good at bats.

“I’m doing the same thing (at the plate). I’m not trying to do anything different. It’s just a matter of being healthy.”

Pedroia now has seven homers in his last 36 games after hitting just one in his first 45.