HOUSTON — One man cannot cure all that ails the Houston Astros, but Hunter Brown is prepared to try. Every frustrating stretch or feeling of doubt during his 67-game absence arrived with an underlying ultimatum: stay afloat until the ace known as “Diesel” returns, the final hope of fueling a turnaround.When Brown did on Tuesday night, it produced the most pomp of this otherwise plodding season. Five of the team’s content creators knelt near the dugout to await Brown’s emergence. Another photographer stood on the mound to capture close-up shots. While they did, befitting warmup music blared.“This is just what the doctor ordered,” sang Ted Nugent to another of Detroit’s native sons.Brown then tamed the city’s Tigers to announce his return atop the Astros’ rotation. He struck out seven across 5 2/3 impressive innings, invigorating a team in need of it while inviting hope that, perhaps, his presence is what will propel Houston forward.“You could feel it. At least I did,” outfielder Cam Smith said. “We got to the stadium and, man, Diesel is on the mound again. It’s a great feeling because we always have a chance to win.”On Tuesday, they did, 4-2. Few of the 33 victories that preceded it felt more satisfying, even if Brown did not factor into the final decision.“He was incredible tonight,” said Ray Delgado, a journeyman infielder who snuck a go-ahead, two-run single through Detroit’s infield during the eighth inning. “I know he’s been out for a while. He gave us a shot to stay in the game and we were able to help him out at the end.“Everybody was excited. You could feel the buzz the last few days that he was coming back.”Missing Brown since March 31 has thrown Houston’s starting pitching into a state of disarray. Since then, only the Colorado Rockies have received a higher ERA from their rotation than the Astros’ 5.14 mark. Twelve other pitchers have started a game in Brown’s stead.Neither Mike Burrows nor Tatsuya Imai — the team’s two marquee offseason additions — could compensate in Brown’s absence. Kai-Wei Teng did, and so has Peter Lambert, but none boasts Brown’s upside.“I take pride in being somebody that the staff and my teammates can rely on,” said Brown, a Cy Young Award finalist last season. “We’ve had a lot of guys fill in and do a great job. It takes a full 40-man roster, but now that I’m back, hopefully I can hit the ground running and keep it going. That’s the goal. That’s the plan. We’re still in striking distance and everyone in this clubhouse knows it.”