OAKLAND -- It was perhaps the most impressive at-bat of the season by Chris Carter, who battled back from being down two strikes in the sixth inning to get the count full against A's right-hander Jeff Samardzija. What happened next should come as no surprise to anyone anymore.Carter, the stoic slugger, crushed a 3-2 pitch from Samardzija and launched it high over the wall in left-center field for a two-run blast that gave the Astros the lead and sent them on their way to their fifth consecutive win, 4-3, over the A's at O.co Coliseum on Friday night. 
Astros interim manager Tom Lawless improved to 3-0.Carter's 36th homer of the season -- his seventh of the season against the A's, his former team -- was his 23rd since July 4. Of the 10 homers allowed by Samardzija with the A's, Carter is responsible for three of them. Jon Singleton also connected against Samardzija, belting a solo shot in the third inning.Astros left-hander Brett Oberholtzer (5-10) held the A's to seven hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time since Aug. 2. The Astros have won seven of his last 10 starts.The A's scored three times in the third to take a 3-1 lead before Carter's RBI single in the fourth cut the lead to one. Oakland loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning, but Oberholtzer got Craig Gentry to hit into a fielder's choice and Josh Donaldson to hit into a double play to escape the jam.Jose Altuve's second hit of the game -- and his 196th of the season -- came with one out in the sixth, and one out later Carter sent his mammoth shot over the wall to give the Astros a 4-3 lead. Carter's 85 RBIs are a career high.Samardzija (4-5) struck out nine batters and allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings.Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
Astros interim manager Tom Lawless improved to 3-0.Carter's 36th homer of the season -- his seventh of the season against the A's, his former team -- was his 23rd since July 4. Of the 10 homers allowed by Samardzija with the A's, Carter is responsible for three of them. Jon Singleton also connected against Samardzija, belting a solo shot in the third inning.Astros left-hander Brett Oberholtzer (5-10) held the A's to seven hits and three runs in 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time since Aug. 2. The Astros have won seven of his last 10 starts.The A's scored three times in the third to take a 3-1 lead before Carter's RBI single in the fourth cut the lead to one. Oakland loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the inning, but Oberholtzer got Craig Gentry to hit into a fielder's choice and Josh Donaldson to hit into a double play to escape the jam.Jose Altuve's second hit of the game -- and his 196th of the season -- came with one out in the sixth, and one out later Carter sent his mammoth shot over the wall to give the Astros a 4-3 lead. Carter's 85 RBIs are a career high.Samardzija (4-5) struck out nine batters and allowed four runs and six hits in seven innings.Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
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