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MINNEAPOLIS -- After three straight 100-loss seasons, the Houston Astros lineup is suddenly filled with sluggers who can change a game with one swing. Chris Carter and Jon Singleton hit their first career grand slams to power Houston to a 14-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Carters 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. Dexter Fowler and George Springer also homered for the Astros. Houston has now hit 69 homers this season, well on pace to surpass last seasons total of 148, third-worst in the American League. "It puts more strain on the opposing pitchers," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "They feel like, I cant make a mistake here, I cant make a mistake here. That can drain on a staff." 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. Houston players are also sensing a different vibe now that the lineup is filled with more power. "Its been fun. We like playing off of each other," Singleton said. "Thats definitely a bonus. When one person does well, it carries over and its contagious." 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 couldnt 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. It was the third time in club history Minnesota allowed two grand slams in the same game. The last time it happened was April 22, 1988, in Cleveland. "They got us today," Perkins said. "I think they swing hard in case they hit it, and they hit them today. Theyre not as bad as people think they are. Gotta give credit to them the way they swing the bat and pitch the ball pretty well." The Twins also officially signed free-agent designated hitter/first-baseman Kendrys Morales on Sunday to bolster their inconsistent offence. But if Minnesota -- now three games under .500 -- wants to remain in the playoff race, its 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, Minnesotas starters are 19-25 with a 4.97 ERA. "Not a good day pitching today. Used a lot of innings out there," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We still have three games to go (before the next off day), so well get through it. Thats the way it is. They killed it at the end." 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. "Its nice to have other guys in the lineup who do the same thing and have more protection where guys cant just pitch around me or pitch around another guy," said Carter, who led Houston with 29 homers last season. "Theres another guy behind him always. Its good for all of us." NOTES: To make room on the roster for Morales, Minnesota released Jason Kubel, who appeared in 798 games over parts of eight seasons with the Twins, but was hitting .224 this year and just .158 since April. ... The Astros recalled LHP Rudy Owens to pitch out of the bullpen and sent Paul Clemens back to Triple-A Oklahoma City for the sixth time this season. ... The Twins unveiled a new bronze statue on the Target Plaza before the game: team mascot T.C. Bear. ... Jonathan Villar singled three times for Houston. ... Ricky Nolasco (4-5, 5.65 ERA) starts for the Twins against Torontos R.A. Dickey (6-4, 4.25 ERA) on Monday. ... Houstons Jarred Cosart (4-5, 4.16 ERA) faces Josh Collmenter (4-2, 3.63 ERA) to kick off a two-game series in Arizona on Monday. Carlos Asuaje Jersey . The Blue Jackets play Thursday night at New Jersey in their first game after the NHLs Olympic hiatus. A native of Trencin, Slovakia, Gaborik has represented his country at the 2006 and 2010 Olympics but was unable to play in Sochi because of his injury. Jordan Lyles Jersey . -- Chicago manager Darold Butler has a message for the Windy City. http://www.cheappadresjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-tyson-ross-jersey . Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter also scored for the Americans, who avoided a repeat of Finlands upset at the Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y., in November. Finnish goalie Noora Raty made 58 saves in that one, but the three-time Olympian could stop just 40 of 43 U. Wholesale Padres Jerseys . LOUIS -- Known for his game-managing and defensive skills, Yadier Molina made another statement with his bat. Brad Hand Jersey . Richard Jefferson scored 17 points and Diante Garrett had a career-high 15 points as the Jazz had seven players with 10 points or more in Utahs largest margin of victory this season.ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - Connor McDavid keeps reliving the final seconds of winning world junior gold for Canada. Lawson Crouse remembers it like it was yesterday.More than two weeks after ending the nations gold-medal drought at the world junior championship, McDavid and Crouse are still glowing about it.You say you want to move on and stuff like that. You got to, McDavid said Tuesday before practice for the CHL Top Prospects game. But its hard to say you dont miss it. I miss it so much. I think it was two weeks (Monday) or whatever. I was talking with some of the guys yesterday and I miss it a lot. I miss that feeling and that energy and that buzz.The buzz of Air Canada Centre, loud with almost every fan wearing red-and-white, was intoxicating. It has taken time for McDavid to move past that night and the biggest accomplishment of his hockey-playing life.Its pretty common to have a little bit of a letdown after world juniors, McDavid said. Your game is so ramped up and everything is riding on a single play and everything like that. Then you come back to the OHL, which is still great hockey and all that, but its not the world juniors.A letdown by McDavids definition doesnt seem to be so bad. The projected No. 1 pick in Junes NHL draft had at least a point per game since going back to the Erie Otters, a total of five goals and four assists in five games.McDavid, who has 60 points in 23 games, called four points in two games an all right weekend.Crouse, whos also expected to be a top-10 pick, also had some difficulty mentally adjusting when he returned to the OHLs Kingston Frontenacs.I went back and I tried to do too much, and I sat down with Coach (Paul MacFarland) and II told him that, Crouse said.dddddddddddd He just said, Well, just do the things that got you there. After two games I kind of got back to my normal self.Crouse has four goals and three assists in six games. Dont call it a letdown.Its not necessarily a letdown, but its a different style, he said. Youre playing with the top guys and then you go back and you kind of have to adapt to getting back to what got you there and doing the things well.McDavid and Crouse were at their best at the world juniors, as Canada went undefeated to win gold. Crouse said he learned from each teammate and opponent to improve his game.Just the level of play and how much you have to execute things to a tee, Crouse said. You have to compete every shift. I feel like I do that well. Obviously I just try to build off that game in and game out.McDavid picked up a big lesson, too, about what pressure situations are like.Just that experience of playing in the big games and winning and all that, McDavid said. To have that experience under my belt and some of those big-game moments and stuff like that, its good to take back with you.With 11 points in seven games, McDavid tied for the tournament lead in scoring. A few months ago he said it was up to this world junior team to restore the belief of Canadian hockey fans, but in the aftermath of doing that he didnt feel a weight come off his shoulders.People asked me if it was relief that I was feeling, but it was nothing but joy, McDavid said. Its not thinking, Oh we finally did it, or whatever. Its just youre so happy to finally have a dream come true and live that with those 22 guys and the staff and all that.___Follow @SWhyno on Twitter ' ' '