Astros 8, Blue Jays 2: Chris Carter went 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and three runs scored and Jason Castro added a two-run blast among his three hits as Houston pushed aside visiting Toronto.

All-Star Jose Altuve had two hits and scored twice in support of Brett Oberholtzer (4-7), who allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings to post his fourth straight quality start. Jon Singleton added three hits, including a two-run inside-the-park homer that was confirmed with replay, and three RBIs as the Astros won for the fourth time in six games.

R.A. Dickey (9-11) surrendered five runs on nine hits in seven-plus innings and did not help himself with a throwing error as the Blue Jays remained 2 1/2 games behind first-place Baltimore in the American League East. Jose Bautista delivered an RBI double and Nolan Reimold chipped in a sacrifice fly for Toronto.

Altuve reached with a one-out single in the fifth and moved to third when Dickey’s pickoff attempt bounced down the right-field line before scoring on first baseman Danny Valencia’s errant throw to put Houston on top 3-2. Carter added to the lead with a towering solo blast - his 22nd - to left field later in the inning and scored on Castro’s two-run shot in the eighth as the Astros put it away.

Reimold’s sacrifice fly in the first gave the Blue Jays a quick lead, but Houston bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the frame on Carter’s RBI double and Singleton’s run-scoring single. Anthony Gose led off the third with a walk for Toronto and scored on Bautista’s two-out double to even the score.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Houston RHP Mike Foltynewicz made his major-league debut in relief and walked a batter while recording two outs, including one via strikeout. … Singleton’s inside-the-park home run was the first of his career and the first for the Astros this season. … Blue Jays 1B Juan Francisco nearly tied the game in the top of the eighth, but his deep drive with a runner on was caught when Houston RF Robbie Grossman leaped at the fence to keep it out of the front row.