Framber Valdez had an impressive game, striking out eight batters and only allowing two hits in seven innings. He teamed up with Seth Martinez for a strong pitching performance as the Houston Astros secured a 3-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, marking their fourth consecutive victory, the most they’ve had this season.
Valdez, who now holds a 3-1 record, gave up both hits and walked two batters. He explained that he focused on throwing accurate pitches and controlling the runners on base. In the last five games, Valdez has consistently limited opponents to two runs or less.
The Astros manager, Joe Espada, praised Valdez’s performance, highlighting the importance of him pitching deep into the game, especially after the team heavily used their bullpen in the previous game.
Seth Martinez closed out the game, earning his first save of the season. The Athletics struggled to make solid contact against Valdez, with their only hits being a soft infield single by J.D. Davis and a single by Shea Langeliers. This loss marks the A’s fourth consecutive defeat.
Oakland’s manager, Mark Kotsay, commended Valdez’s performance, describing it as reminiscent of his past strong outings.
“He had his best performance tonight,” Kotsay commented. “His changeup, slider, curveball. He was targeting our right-handed batters effectively with his sinker. When he finds his groove, it’s challenging. We hit a lot of ground balls.”
The Athletics had runners on first and second base in the ninth inning due to an error by Alex Bregman and a walk to Tyler Soderstrom. However, Langeliers hit into a double play, ending the game.
Jose Altuve singled at the start of the first inning advanced to third base on Kyle Tucker’s double and scored on a throwing error by Zack Gelof, who was attempting to throw Tucker out at the second base. Tucker crossed home plate on Alex Bregman’s sacrifice fly two batters later.
Mauricio Dubón added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, extending the lead to 3-0. Aaron Brooks (0-1) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out five batters in seven innings. This was his first start since September 13, 2019, when he played for Baltimore. It was also his first appearance in the major leagues since April 28, 2022.
