It’s at least a start.

Back–to-back victories over quality teams.

Wins that could be the start of something.

Two well-played and well-pitched games in which the Yankees hit a combined four home runs.

The Yankees followed up Wednesday’s comfortable win over the Rays by starting out this four-game series with the hated Astros on the right note Thursday.

They jumped out to an early lead, saw it evaporate and struck right back, prevailing 4-3 in front of 44,019 in The Bronx.

With all kinds of distractions of late, from the Yankees’ inactive trade deadline to Domingo German being placed on the restricted list on Wednesday to receive treatment for alcohol abuse and the news that Anthony Rizzo has been dealing with post-concussion syndrome, the team has managed to stay focused.

Anthony Volpe’s sixth-inning, run-scoring single was the difference.

Clarke Schmidt delivered his 13th straight start allowing three earned runs or less and Michael King got a monster double play in the seventh to keep the lead.

The Yankees moved within two games of the Blue Jays in the loss column for the final AL wild-card spot.

The win marked the first time since July 3-4 against the Orioles that the Yankees had won back-to-back games against an opponent with a winning record.

That, however, didn’t lead to an extended winning stretch.

The Yankees dropped nine of their next 11 games. Maybe this will be different.

Struggling Astros right-hander Cristian Javier, part of a combined no-hitter in The Bronx last June, was tagged for two home runs and three runs in a rocky opening frame.

Giancarlo Stanton and Billy McKinney took him deep, marking the fifth time this year the Yankees have gone back-to-back.

The Astros responded with two runs in the top of the second.

Jake Meyers drove in a run with a groundout and Marvin Maldonado singled in another.

But that was also all Houston would muster against Schmidt, who faced just one over the minimum over his final three innings of work.

He finished well, stranding Bronx villain Jose Altuve at third by retiring Jeremy Pena on a groundout.

Schmidt was pulled after five quality innings of two-run ball.

He struck out four, walked one and allowed four hits while throwing 82 pitches, 51 for strikes.

It, however, would not earn him a win.

Southpaw Wandy Peralta, who had allowed just five hits in 55 at-bats against left-handed batters, served up a game-tying homer to Kyle Tucker in the sixth.

After Anthony Volpe drove in Harrison Bader in the home sixth to give the Yankees back the lead, the Astros threatened in the seventh against King.

His mistake of trying to turn a double play on an Altuve roller to the second-base side of the mound — nobody was covering the bag — gave Houston runners on first and second with one out.

But Pena bounced into a 5-5-3 double play, ending the threat.