Framber Valdez continued his strong performance from his no-hit attempt by pitching 5 2/3 solid innings, and the Houston Astros, who lead the AL West, won their sixth straight game by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Monday night.
Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz hit home runs for the Astros, who are ahead in the division by half a game over Seattle, which didn’t play.
Valdez (12-5) is now 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA in his last nine starts. He allowed three hits, one walk, and struck out nine before being taken out after walking Yandy Díaz on his 101st pitch.
“Framber’s curveball has been a game-changer for him the last couple of outings,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “It’s gotten better with time. We’re asking him to use it more and he’s been working hard to try and get the location with it.”
In his last start on August 6 at Texas, Valdez came within one out of his second career no-hitter when Corey Seager hit a home run with two outs in the ninth inning. The Rays got their first hit with one out in the first inning from a single by Dylan Carlson.
“Concentration and focus,” Valdez said through a translator. “When you’re focused, you’re locked in. When you do that and work hard, you’re going to have good results.”
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Valdez adapted during the game.
“Talented in the fact that he can evolve throughout the course of the game,” Cash said. “Change-ups early. Then he seemed like he went to the breaking ball. Breaking ball creates a ton of depth. Kind of spotted the fastball just enough to keep us honest. And then had both the off-speed pitches where (they) kept us off balance.”
Tayler Scott and Kaleb Ort finished the game with a combined four-hitter.
Bregman hit a solo home run in the first inning, and Yainer Diaz had a three-run homer during a four-run third inning against Taj Bradley (6-7) as the Astros took a 5-0 lead. Yordan Alvarez added his ninth RBI in the last seven games with a run-scoring single in the third inning.
Bregman has homered in three consecutive games.
