By Matthew Harrington

OAKLAND, Calif. –A Familiar face turned into an unwelcome sight Friday night at O.Co Coliseum for the struggling Oakland Athletics, losers of seven of their last eight. In falling to the Houston Astros 4-3, the A’s add to a now three-game losing streak. Former Green and Gold first basemen Chris Carter batted in three runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, to spoil Jeff Samardzija’s seven-inning, nine-strikeout performance.

“These last few times out, he’s had as good of stuff as we’ve seen,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin on Samardzija. “It’s unfortunate we just didn’t do enough offensively.”

Houston’s designated hitter Carter fell behind on two quick strikes in his sixth-inning at-bat but worked the count full against Samardzija. He ultimately launched the eighth pitch he saw, a 96 mph fastball up, to deep left centerfield for his 36th round-tripper of the season.

“It was definitely one I’d like to have back,” I threw some fastballs by him earlier in the game. I thought it was a good choice. He put good wood on it. It was a pitch I’d like to have back, for sure.”

Even if he had the pitch back, Samardzija wouldn’t have thought about caving in and issuing the intentional walk to certified A’s killer Carter.

“That’s the tying run at second base,” said Samardzija on the prospects of walking Carter. “I didn’t really want to put him on as a freebie. I just threw a pitch he could handle. He got extended on it and hit it out of the park.”

Samardzija (4-5, 3.70 ERA) allowed two home runs in the loss while Derek Norris and Adam Dunn knocked in a run apiece for the home team. Coco Crisp returned to the lineup for the first time since injuring his neck last Friday trying to rob a home run in Los Angeles. He went 1-for-4 in his return to game action with his 17th stolen base of the season.

Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer (5-10, 4.28) went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs for only the second Astros win (both starts by Oberholtzer) in seven games at Oakland this year. Houston (62-79) moves to just 5-15 all-time in games decided in Alameda County.

Carter, a member of the A’s for 106 games from 2010-2012, burned his old team once again this season. In 16 games against the A’s this season, the revenge-minded 27-year-old has hit seven big flies to go with 20 RBIs. Since July 1st, Carter leads the Majors in homers (23) and runs batted in (55). The Redwood City native was a piece in the February 2013 deal that netted current A’s Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez in exchange for Carter, Brad Peacock and Max Stassi.

An Astro crossed home plate first with Jon Singleton ripping a Jeff Samardzija first-pitch solo home run to right centerfield in the top of the third inning. The A’s bats wouldn’t leave Samardzija hanging long though, scoring three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the 3-1 lead.

Alberto Callaspo opened the inning by single up the middle but Oberholtzer bounced back to punch out Crisp. The Houston lefty struggled with command issued back-to-back walks to Craig Gentry and Josh Donaldson to load the bases for Derek Norris. The A’s catcher made the southpaw pay, flaring a single to right field for a run. Astros right fielder Jake Marisnick struggled with the transfer after fielding the ball, allowing Gentry to scamper home on Callaspo’s heels.

Designated Hitter Adam Dunn, penciled into the lineup Friday despite a batting average of .154 against lefties this year, brought in the third run of the inning on an infield single to move Oakland ahead 3-1.

Jose Altuve, the major league leader in hits and stolen bases, collected one of each in the fourth off Samardzija. The Astros second basemen singled to open the inning then swiped his 51st bag of the campaign on a Dexter Fowler strikeout. Carter plated Altuve on a single to pull Houston within a run on his first of three RBIs on the night.

The same bats that bolstered Samardzija in the third failed him in the fourth. Oakland squandered a bases-loaded no-out opportunity in the bottom of the inning after Craig Gentry and Josh Donaldson both bounced into a fielder’s choice at home plate. Donaldson’s grounder proved to be the inning-ending double play, extinguishing any hope of an A’s rally that proved to be the difference-maker.

“You can’t continue to put pressure on our pitching staff like this,” said Melvin. “If we can score some runs there, it’s a completely different game. We already have the lead, we can add on and set the tone for the game going forward. But we don’t score anything there, now it’s more pressure on the pitching.”

Melvin turns to Scott Kazmir Saturday to under pressure bounce back from an abysmal previous outing and put the A’s back in the win column. The lefty lasted only an inning and a third last Sunday, allowing six earned runs in an 8-1 loss to complete a four-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels. Oakland, the American League top Wild Card leaders, will square off against Houston’s Scott Feldman in game two of the three-game series hoping to stay within striking distance of their Southern California rivals.