Casey, pointing out that Ross has done some good th

HOUSTON -- For the first time in a long time, the Houston Astros turned up the music and celebrated a victory in their own clubhouse. Dexter Fowler hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Houstons four-run eighth inning, and the Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 7-6 on Saturday night. It was Houstons first home win since a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on April 6, ending a six-game losing streak at Minute Maid Park. The Astros have won three of their last 13 games overall. Fowler also had a solo homer as Houston snapped a three-game losing streak. Chris Carter connected for a two-run shot in the second. The game was tied at 3 when Fowler drove in Marwin Gonzalez with a base hit against Sean Doolittle (0-2). Jason Castro then singled in Jose Altuve, and Fowler and Castro eventually came home on groundouts. "It was just one of those nights, and thats whats frustrating because I looked at the film and dont have a lot of answers," Doolittle said. "I couldnt get anybody out." Doolittle entered the game having allowed just four runs in his previous 18 1-3 innings, dating to last season. "Every now and then, thats going to happen to everybody," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "But you dont expect that to happen to him." Brandon Moss hit a three-run homer in the Oakland ninth against Jerome Williams (1-1). Nick Punto then singled, but Coco Crisp bounced into a fielders choice and Raul Valdes struck out John Jaso and Jed Lowrie for his first save. Houston ended an eight-game losing streak against Oakland, dating to last season. The Astros also improved to 6-25 against the As overall. The series began with a couple of ugly losses when Houston reliever Paul Clemens was ejected Thursday night and manager Bo Porter was thrown out on Friday night for hit-by-pitch-related incidents. But Porter downplayed any extra satisfaction from the victory. "Theres nothing extra special about it," Porter said. "Its a team on our schedule, and our goal is to win every game on our schedule." Fowler went deep in the first and Carters two-run shot to left on an 0-1 pitch from Dan Straily gave the Astros a 3-2 lead in the second. Straily struck out seven in 6 1-3 innings. The right-hander allowed four hits and walked two. Straily has allowed at least one home run in each of his first five starts and has allowed seven home runs in 27 innings after allowing just 16 in 152 1-3 innings in 2013. "Eliminate the homers, and Ill be doing just fine," he said. Oakland got to Dallas Keuchel for two runs in the first. Lowrie singled in Crisp, and Derek Norris scored when cleanup hitter Josh Donaldson grounded into a double play. "I just felt lucky to get out of the first with just two runs, especially the way theyve been swinging the bat," Keuchel said. After scoring just seven runs in three games and being swept by the Rangers, the As have scored 28 runs against the Astros in the last three games. The Athletics trailed 3-2 until Crisp drove in Craig Gentry with a sacrifice fly against Williams in the seventh. Keuchel also went 6 1-3 innings for Houston. The lefty was charged with three runs and six hits, struck out six and walked two. NOTES: Oakland outfielder Yoenis Cespedes participated in batting practice and did light individual jogging to test a strained left hamstring. Cespedes left in the seventh inning of Oaklands 10-1 win over Houston on Thursday after legging out an infield single. Melvin said after Saturdays game that Cespedes was doubtful to play on Sunday. ... For just the second time in their last five games, the Astros did not commit an error. They entered the week ranked third in the majors with seven errors but committed eight on Thursday and Friday. Wholesale Nik SB Cheap .com) - The Toronto Blue Jays will look to snap a three-game skid Friday night when they continue their road trip in the opener of a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Cheap Nike Sb Wholesale . Rasmussen didnt have a decision during his four appearances in May, when he gave up two hits and no runs in two innings. Toronto used five relievers while pulling off the second-biggest comeback in franchise history on Friday night, rallying from an 8-0 deficit to a 14-9 win. http://www.wholesalenikesb.com/ . The Opening Day starter played 53 games this season hitting .192 with nine home runs and 25 RBI. Red Sox manager John Farrell has decided to start Jose Iglesias at third base as of late instead of Middlebrooks. Cheap Nike Sb Free Shipping .com) - Tonight will go a long way in determining the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. Cheap Wholesale Nike SB Shoes . -- What Anthony Jennings lacked in experience, LSU more than compensated for with a talented supporting cast in the Outback Bowl.TORONTO -- In the moments before the Toronto Raptors took the court for Game 4 in Brooklyn, they huddled in the locker-room and watched footage of their fans gathered back home in Maple Leaf Square. The Raptors went on to win Game 4 and even up the series and say theyve drawn inspiration from the swell of support theyre receiving in their home city. "I told the team, the fans are doing their part, weve got to do our part as a team, as a group of guys to lead the fight on the court, because the fans are behind us 100 per cent and theyre loud and theyre very proud. And they should be," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. The Raptors expect a repeat of Sunday, when a capacity crowd of 2,500 red-clad fans jammed Maple Leaf Square to watch the game on the giant screen outside the Air Canada Centre. Thousands more packed the roads leading up to the ACC in a raucous outdoor celebration similar to the citys playoff party during the Maple Leafs brief run last year. "Oh man, its unbelievable, our fan base," Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said. "It makes you want to just be a part of it. Things that were doing right now and the way the fan base is going out there, we want to go out there and play hard and give them a reason to keep coming back and packing Maple Leaf Square and packing the ACC. "We need our fans, we love our fans. . . We cant wait to see (Wednesday) night, the vibe and the energy were going to get." The series has been a spirited battle even before the first ball was tossed up, thanks to general manager Masai Ujiris now-famous F-bomb. Its been a fierce fight on the court. Casey said Kyle Lowry looked like hed been through a 15-round bout after Game 4, and the coach expects both teams to come out swinging in Game 5 on Wednesday. "Its not going to be all smiles and bubble gum and fruitcakes. . . Its going to be a street fight," Casey said. "Thats the way weve got to come out, with that mentality." The Raptors, said Lowry, were caught on their heels Game 1 of the series. The less-experienced Raptors -- three of the teams starters had never made a playoff appearance -- werent prepared for how physical post-season action would be. They lost that game. They put up a fight in Sundays Game 4 victory in Brooklyn, holding the Nets to just three baskets in a scrappy fourth quarter. But they were forced to battle back from a lackadaisical third quarter, a bad habit the Raptors havent been able to shake all season long.dddddddddddd "Weve got to compete like that for 40-plus (minutes)," Casey said. "The third quarter has been our nemesis. . . thats what we have to remedy, coming out of the locker-room at halftime with that desperate disposition." Despite being the No. 3 seed, the Raptors were considered underdogs in this series based on playoff experience. DeMar DeRozan said theyve played with a chip on their collective shoulder with that underdog mentality all season, so this is nothing new. "We understood coming into this series that people still counted us out, people still doubted us, people said: Brooklyns experience, this, that and the third. . . whatever you want to hear," said DeRozan, who struggled through playoff jitters in Game 1 but has shone for Toronto in the three games since. "Weve been counted out so long, weve got the underdog mentality. I dont think thats going anywhere." Playoff experience was a major theme when this best-of-seven series began. Future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce alone -- with 136 playoff appearances -- had played in almost as many post-season games as the entire Raptors roster combined. None of Torontos starters -- Lowry, DeRozan, Terrence Ross, Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas -- had ever started in a playoff game. DeRozan, Ross and Valanciunas had never played in the post-season, period. The Raptors say that four games in, experience doesnt mean much anymore. "Its just who wants it more from here on out. Thats what it boils down to now," DeRozan said. Added Casey: "I dont think were as wide-eyed and bushy-tailed as we were in Game 1." Ross remains the one Raptor struggling with the playing on the big stage of the post-season. The athletic sophomore, who poured in 51 points in a game earlier this season, scored zero in Game 4. Casey and the players remain fiercely supportive of the 21-year-old. "Im not going to do anything to crush that young mans confidence or what hes brought to the table thus far," said Casey, pointing out that Ross has done some good things on the defensive end. "And its not about Terrence Ross, its about our entire team," the coach added. 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