HOUSTON -- Jeff Samardzija was determined to get back on track Monday night after a couple of bad starts, so he was thrilled to see Josh Donaldson back in the Oakland lineup. Samardzija pitched eight solid innings and Donaldson drove in three runs after sitting out Sunday with a knee injury to lead the Athletics over the Houston Astros 8-2. "I told him theres no chance hes not starting the day I pitch. So Ill give him a massage on his knee if I have to, to get him in there," Samardzija said, joking. It didnt come to that, but Donaldson acknowledged after the game hes still feeling pretty banged up despite returning to the lineup. "Its not something I think about too much," he said. "Its just one of those things, 126 games now. You learn how to play with stuff." Samardzija (4-3) allowed six hits, two runs and tied a season high with 10 strikeouts to bounce back from a two-game skid in which he yielded 11 runs combined. The right-hander was 2-7 with the Chicago Cubs before getting traded in early July. "I took that last one pretty personally and I wanted to come out and have a good one and get back into my groove and how I do things," Samardzija said. Josh Reddick hit a two-run homer and Donaldson had three hits. Donaldson doubled twice for his first extra-base hits and RBIs in his last nine games. Reddicks 10th home run sailed into the seats in right field to push Oaklands lead to 3-0 in the fourth. Chris Carter hit an opposite-field, two-run homer in the eighth to pull the Astros within one, but the As added five runs in the ninth to extend the lead to 8-2. Houston manager Bo Porter was disappointed that his bullpen let a close game get away. "Getting an opportunity to come up in the ninth inning of a one-run game is completely different than coming up down by six," he said. "The whole object is to keep the game right there." Scott Feldman (7-10) allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings. The Astros couldnt string anything together against Samardzija through the first seven innings. They didnt have more than one hit in an inning until the eighth, when Jose Altuve singled before Carters homer. Houston reliever Tony Sipp, who had allowed just 10 walks in his previous 41 innings, walked all four batters he faced in the ninth to push Oaklands lead to 4-2. Donaldsons bases-loaded double off Jose Veras sent two more home, and Derek Norris wrapped up the scoring with a two-run single. Eric Sogard doubled to start the third and scored on Donaldsons first hit -- a two-out double -- to put Oakland up 1-0. Brandon Moss singled in the fourth before Reddick homered. Carters 31 home runs rank third in the American League, and his 18 homers and 44 RBIs since July 1 lead the majors. Altuves hit gave him 179 this season, which leads the AL. The pair has carried Houstons offence since the All-Star break while the Astros have dealt with numerous injuries. TRAINERS ROOM Athletics: Manager Bob Melvin said INF Nick Punto (hamstring) is making progress and has been taking grounders. Melvin didnt give a timetable on Puntos return, but said hes "starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel with him." Astros: RHP Brad Peacock, who left his most recent start after five innings because of a sore forearm, will take his scheduled turn Wednesday. Porter said Peacock is fine and was removed mostly as a precaution. BEHIND THE PLATE Melvin said hell probably start new catcher Geovany Soto on Tuesday night and put Norris at DH. Soto was acquired from Texas for cash on Sunday, with C John Jaso on the seven-day concussion disabled list. Soto has appeared in only 10 games this season after starting the year on the disabled list following knee surgery in March before another stint on the DL because of a groin injury. UP NEXT Oakland RHP Jason Hammel is scheduled to start Tuesday after his previous turn in the rotation was skipped because of two off days last week. Hammel is 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA in seven starts since being traded from the Cubs on July 5. Houston LHP Dallas Keuchel looks for his first win since July 30. Discount Sports Jerseys . It was considered unlikely that Rielly would be loaned to Canada for the tournament, which begins Dec. 26 in Malmo, Sweden, though a stretch of three straight games in the press box made it something of a debate. Clearance Sports Jerseys .That sight softened the blow of what ended up as a 4-3 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.Knowing their teammate was fine after a scary headfirst fall in the opening minute of the game helped calm the Maple Leafs. https://www.discountsportsjerseyscheap.com/ .com) - The Miami Heat will try to close out the Charlotte Bobcats Monday night in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first round series. Fake Sports Jerseys . Toronto has lost six of its last eight games but is coming off Thursdays 7-3 victory at Kansas City. Juan Francisco and Colby Rasmus both went deep for the Blue Jays, who are second in the American League with 34 home runs on the season. Stitched Sports Jerseys . While the pair of Spain internationals return, midfielder Xavi Hernandez will not be included in the squad after failing to recover from a muscle strain to his left leg.DENVER - Adam LaRoche has been scuffling this month. He hopes one swing will turn things around. LaRoche broke out of a July slump with a tiebreaking home run in the seventh, Anthony Rendon had three hits and the Washington Nationals rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 7-4 on Tuesday night. It was the Nationals fourth straight win and increased their NL East Division lead to two games over Atlanta, which lost to Miami on Tuesday. The win might have come at a cost after third baseman Ryan Zimmerman left the game in the sixth inning with a strained right hamstring. He is scheduled to have an MRI done Wednesday morning. "Its pretty sore tonight. Get the MRI, get some results tomorrow and see where were at," manager Matt Williams said. "Its concerning. Anytime you have to leave the game with a hamstring injury its concerning." Zimmerman missed 44 games with a fractured right thumb earlier this season but has played well since coming off the disabled list on June 3. "Hes swinging great, playing great, but we have to deal with it," Williams said. "Well see how he feels tomorrow and what the doctors say." Ian Desmond followed Mondays 5-for-5 performance with hits in his first two at-bats Tuesday for Washington. He was hit by a pitch in the sixth to reach base safely in eight consecutive plate appearances. The streak ended when he struck out in the seventh, but the Nationals had taken control on LaRoches three-run homer off reliever Rex Brothers. It was LaRoches first home run off a lefthander since May 28, 2013. "You swing hard enough enough times youre bound to run into somethings. Ive been playing long enough to know a lot of times it takes one swing," LaRoche said. "Ive been in a rut for a little while, my timings been out of whack, so this came at a good time." Nolan Arenado and Corey Dickerson homered for the Rockies, who have lost seven straight and remain tied with Texas for the worst record in the majors. Before the game the Rockies placed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the 15-day disabled list with a left hip flexor strain and recalled left-hander Yohan Flande. Tuloowitzki is the third Colorado player in two days to hit the disabled list.dddddddddddd First baseman Justin Morneau (neck) and reliever Boone Logan (diverticulitis) were put on the DL on Monday, adding to the long list of Rockies out of action. "Its unfortunate, its what Im dealt with, Ive been dealt many, many things in my career," Tulowitzki said. "This is just a bump in the road." Flande started well before faltering in the sixth. He allowed four runs on five hits and walked two in 5 1-3 innings. He left with a 4-2 lead and runners on the corners, but Colorados bullpen couldnt hold it. Zimmerman made it 4-3 with a fielders choice but left the game after hitting the first base bag hard trying to beat out his grounder. "Guys just coming back from the DL, getting his swing back and you hate to see that," LaRoche said. "Cross our fingers its nothing major." Wilson Ramos tied the game with an infield single, and then the Nationals broke it open in the seventh. Brooks Brown (0-1) walked Denard Span and Rendon singled. Brothers relieved Brown one out later and LaRoche pulled a 93-mph fastball into the Rockies bullpen to make it 7-4. It was his 13th of the season and his second hit of the night off a lefty. "When youre facing a bunch of lefties it can get you right again because you have to stay on the baseball," Williams said. Reliever Craig Stammen (1-4) pitched a scoreless inning to get the win. Rafael Soriano worked the ninth for his 23rd save. The Rockies took a 1-0 lead in the second on DJ LeMahieus RBI triple to right. Arenado made it 3-0 in the second with a two-run homer to centre. It was his seventh of the season and first since May 5. The Nationals got two back in the fourth before Dickersons solo shot to the upper deck off Jordan Zimmermann in the fifth made it 4-2. NOTES: LaRoche holds the franchise record for consecutive plate appearances reaching base safely with nine. ... LeMahieu finished with three hits. ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (7-7, 3.55) will face Rockies LHP Jorge De La Rosa (10-6, 4.39) in the series finale on Wednesday. ' ' '