MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Chris Carter and Jon Singleton hit their first career grand slams to power the Houston Astros to a 14-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.Carter's slam in the seventh inning sailed over the limestone overhang in right field and gave Houston a 9-3 lead. Singleton lined a fastball off Glen Perkins over the right-field wall that made it 14-5 in the ninth.The only other time two Astros players hit grand slams in the same game was July 30, 1969, at New York when Denis Menke and Jimmy Wynn both hit slams in an 11-run ninth inning against the Mets. 
Dexter Fowler and George Springer also homered for the Astros.Darin Downs (1-0) got the last eight outs as the third reliever to follow starter Colin McHugh, who fanned six and allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings. He walked five and was removed after throwing 101 pitches.Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham hit RBI singles as Minnesota made it 5-3 in the fifth, but couldn't get any closer before Carter and Singleton powered the game away.Houston batted around in the fourth inning, scoring three runs after Samuel Deduno (2-4) loaded the bases with nobody out by walking two batters and hitting another.The Astros have won seven of eight on the road and 11 of their last 15 overall as they try to snap a three-year streak of losing 100 games.The Twins are also trying to snap a three-year streak of losing 90-plus games, and officially signed free-agent designated hitter/first-baseman Kendrys Morales on Sunday to bolster their inconsistent offense.But if Minnesota - now three games under .500 - wants to remain in the playoff race, it's going to need better starting pitching.Deduno walked four and hit two while allowing five runs in three innings on Sunday, raising his ERA to 4.45.As a group, Minnesota's starters are 19-25 with a 4.97 ERA.McHugh struck out four batters in a row during one stretch and extended his scoreless innings streak to a career-high 16 2-3 before Eduardo Nunez homered in the fourth.Springer, named American League rookie of the month after hitting 10 home runs in May, led off the eighth by hitting his second homer in three games.
Dexter Fowler and George Springer also homered for the Astros.Darin Downs (1-0) got the last eight outs as the third reliever to follow starter Colin McHugh, who fanned six and allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings. He walked five and was removed after throwing 101 pitches.Trevor Plouffe and Josh Willingham hit RBI singles as Minnesota made it 5-3 in the fifth, but couldn't get any closer before Carter and Singleton powered the game away.Houston batted around in the fourth inning, scoring three runs after Samuel Deduno (2-4) loaded the bases with nobody out by walking two batters and hitting another.The Astros have won seven of eight on the road and 11 of their last 15 overall as they try to snap a three-year streak of losing 100 games.The Twins are also trying to snap a three-year streak of losing 90-plus games, and officially signed free-agent designated hitter/first-baseman Kendrys Morales on Sunday to bolster their inconsistent offense.But if Minnesota - now three games under .500 - wants to remain in the playoff race, it's going to need better starting pitching.Deduno walked four and hit two while allowing five runs in three innings on Sunday, raising his ERA to 4.45.As a group, Minnesota's starters are 19-25 with a 4.97 ERA.McHugh struck out four batters in a row during one stretch and extended his scoreless innings streak to a career-high 16 2-3 before Eduardo Nunez homered in the fourth.Springer, named American League rookie of the month after hitting 10 home runs in May, led off the eighth by hitting his second homer in three games.
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