WEST SACRAMENTO – At a crucial moment in the season, Dominican left-handed pitcher Framber Valdez shone, delivering one of his best performances of the year and revitalizing the hopes of the Houston Astros in their pursuit of the last wild card spot in the American League.Valdez, who had struggled to secure wins in his last ten starts, elevated his game at the opportune moment. He pitched seven solid innings, allowing only one run and striking out ten batters, leading the Astros to a convincing 11-5 victory over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. This triumph ended a five-game losing streak and kept Houston in contention heading into the final weekend of the season.
Framber Valdez’s 9th and 10th Ks pic.twitter.com/nRjtLjaFEl
With a record of 85-74, the Astros were only half a game behind the Detroit Tigers for the third wild card spot. However, Detroit has the tiebreaker advantage, forcing Houston to secure wins in their three-game series against the Angels.The Astros’ offense also responded, scoring nine runs in the first five innings without the need for home runs. José Altuve, despite discomfort in his right foot, and Isaac Paredes, with hamstring problems, led the attack with two hits each. Houston’s only home run in the game came in the eighth inning, courtesy of Christian Walker’s 24th home run.Valdez, for his part, demonstrated his dominance from the start, retiring the next five batters via strikeout after allowing a single to the first batter of the game. He didn’t allow runs until the sixth inning, when Nick Kurtz hit a home run with two outs. His ten strikeouts were the most since July 28.With this outstanding performance, the Dominican pitcher reaffirmed his ability to be the leader of the rotation at key moments and keeps the Astros’ hope of reaching another postseason alive.
