Framber Valdez was outstanding for eight innings. However, a rough ninth inning cost him his second career no-hitter.
Valdez was one out away from achieving more history when Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning, leading the Astros to a 4-2 win on Tuesday night.
It had been just over a year since Valdez’s first no-hitter, and the 30-year-old was doing well as he took the mound needing only three more outs for what would have been Houston’s second no-hitter this season.
The 99th pitch from the two-time All-Star resulted in a walk to Robbie Grossman, but the 100th pitch was part of a double play for Texas.
Ezequiel Duran’s grounder to third baseman Alex Bregman cleared the bases with two outs, and the excitement from the Houston fans at the Rangers’ home was palpable.
Josh Smith kept the Rangers’ hopes alive with another walk, setting up Seager’s 24th homer on the very first pitch he saw in the ninth inning—Valdez’s 107th and final pitch of the night. This was Seager’s fifth homer in five games.
Josh Hader replaced Valdez and walked Marcus Semien before Josh Jung flied out to the wall in right field. This was Hader’s 23rd consecutive save, just one short of Brad Lidge’s franchise record from 2005.
“I try to always go out there trying to have fun,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “Obviously, sometimes I have got to get serious. Went out there and do what I try to do every single time, try and throw strikes on all my pitches and just try to help the team win.”
Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the ninth that proved to be the game-winner. Jake Meyers drove in the first two Houston runs with two singles.
Valdez, who previously threw a no-hitter against Cleveland on August 1, 2023, had a perfect game through five innings and faced the minimum of 18 batters through six.
The perfect game ended when Jonah Heim reached base due to Bregman’s throwing error. Grossman then grounded into a double play, and Duran was out on strikes.
Bregman’s error occurred when he fielded a high chopper while running and threw low to first baseman Jon Singleton, who could not make the scoop in time to get Heim out.
Semien walked with two outs in the seventh inning, getting a fourth batter to the plate for Texas, but Jung struck out on three pitches.
Valdez easily handled the eighth inning with routine flyouts from Wyatt Langford, Adolis García, and Heim. He reached a top speed of 96.9 mph on his fastball but got a lot of soft contact with his off-speed pitches.
“I think the biggest thing is try to go out and try to get outs, try to trick the hitter a little bit,” Valdez said. He struck out five and walked three in 8 2/3 innings.
This was just the third win in nine games for the Astros, who had cooled off after a hot streak that helped them move past Seattle in the AL West. Houston began the day 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners, with Texas five games back.
Houston’s other no-hitter was thrown by Ronel Blanco on April 1, a rare win during a rough 7-19 start before the Astros bounced back and moved up in the standings.
“I told him that’s a hell of a performance, in Spanish,” manager Joe Espada said of Valdez. “I used up a few other words in Spanish, but, you know, said we needed that. And we need guys like that to step up and give us innings. And he did.”
Seager had one of the other hardest-hit balls, flying out to left fielder Alvarez at the warning track for the second out of the fourth inning. The homer went 411 feet into the seats in right field.
“You’re aware of it all game that you haven’t got a hit yet,” Seager said. “Everybody’s going up there to try to do it. Just fortunate enough it happened.”
Valdez improved to 6-0 in his last eight starts, all wins for Houston. He missed his other scheduled start against Texas this season after losing to the Rangers twice in the AL Championship Series last fall.
Tyler Mahle made his first start for Texas and his first since April 2023 after Tommy John surgery.
The right-hander allowed five hits and a run in five innings with two strikeouts. Mahle (0-1) signed a $22 million, two-year contract in December with the Rangers, knowing he would spend most of the season rehabbing.
