HOUSTON (AP) -- Robbie Grossman's two-run homer put the Houston Astros ahead in the eighth inning and they held on for 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.Chris Carter hit his 25th home run for Houston, which trailed 2-1 entering the eighth inning. Jon Singleton singled with no outs and Grossman, who finished with three hits, launched a 92 mph fastball from Neal Cotts (2-6) into the Crawford Boxes in left field with one out to put the Astros on top.Gregorio Petit's double with two outs added an insurance run. 
Jose Veras (2-1) threw a perfect eighth for the win. Chad Qualls allowed a run in the ninth and there were runners at first and second with one out when Daniel Robertson grounded into a double play to end the game and give Qualls his 13th save.The win extends Houston's streak over the Rangers to six games, the longest in franchise history. The Astros are 7-3 against Texas this season and remain ahead of the last-place Rangers in the AL West.J.P. Arencibia hit a two-run homer in the first for Texas. Carter cut the deficit to one with his two-out shot in the fifth.Carter, who homered twice Thursday night, has 12 home runs since July 4 and has upped his batting average from .181 to .225 since July 1.Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings.Miles Mikolas yielded four hits and a run in five innings for the Rangers.Houston second baseman Jose Altuve left the game with discomfort in his neck. Altuve didn't appear to be injured when he batted in the fifth inning, but was replaced by Petit for the start of the sixth.Altuve leads the majors with 158 hits and his 45 steals are tops in the American League. He entered the night tied with Seattle's Robinson Cano for the AL lead in hitting at .335, but went 0 for 3 Friday night to leave him at .333.
Jose Veras (2-1) threw a perfect eighth for the win. Chad Qualls allowed a run in the ninth and there were runners at first and second with one out when Daniel Robertson grounded into a double play to end the game and give Qualls his 13th save.The win extends Houston's streak over the Rangers to six games, the longest in franchise history. The Astros are 7-3 against Texas this season and remain ahead of the last-place Rangers in the AL West.J.P. Arencibia hit a two-run homer in the first for Texas. Carter cut the deficit to one with his two-out shot in the fifth.Carter, who homered twice Thursday night, has 12 home runs since July 4 and has upped his batting average from .181 to .225 since July 1.Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer allowed six hits and two runs in seven innings.Miles Mikolas yielded four hits and a run in five innings for the Rangers.Houston second baseman Jose Altuve left the game with discomfort in his neck. Altuve didn't appear to be injured when he batted in the fifth inning, but was replaced by Petit for the start of the sixth.Altuve leads the majors with 158 hits and his 45 steals are tops in the American League. He entered the night tied with Seattle's Robinson Cano for the AL lead in hitting at .335, but went 0 for 3 Friday night to leave him at .333.
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