Framper Valdez bounced again completely on Tuesday evening.
Valdez threw his first solo hit of the season Tuesday evening to guide the Houston Astros to a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Minute Maid Park. Valdez struck out seven hits and confronted a minimal of 27 batters on 93 pitches within the win, the fourth fewest pitches required in strikeouts since 1901.
It was the sixteenth in Astros historical past, and the primary no-hitter since Justin Verlander threw one in 2019. Valdez’s no-hitter got here simply hours after the Astros recovered Verlander from the New York Mets. Valdez can also be the primary left-handed pitcher to attain this feat in staff historical past. The staff had collected two no-hitters final season, together with one within the World Sequence.
The Guardians, then again, have now been hitless 15 occasions – 5 of which have occurred because the begin of the 2021 season. They have not thrown a hitter since 1981, the longest drought within the league.
“I believed the ball got here out of his palms pretty much as good as we noticed it,” stated Cleveland coach Terry Francona. Via Bally Sports. “It is a veteran lineup, effectively…the way in which that man was throwing, that is the ball sport.”
Valdez retired the primary 12 batters, half of them struck out, to begin the sport. Oscar Gonzalez walked to open the fifth inning, however the Astros got here out secure because of a double play. After safely pitching the eighth inning, Valdez bought Gabriel Arias a groundout earlier than Miles Straw flew to heart and Cam Gallagher emerged to floor out and end the batter and full the batter.
The no-hitter got here after what was a tough begin in his final outing, as Valdez allowed eight hits and 6 runs in 3.2 innings pitched in a 13-5 loss to the Texas Rangers final week. Valdez held a 7.29 ERA in his 4 begins in July.
Valdez now holds a 9-7 document this season, his sixth within the league with the Astros. The 29-year-old was named to his second consecutive All-Star staff this season and entered the evening with a 3.29 ERA and 134 strikeouts on the 12 months. He has now pitched six full video games, together with three shout-outs.
The hitter is the third of the season in Main League Baseball. Matt Manning and the Detroit Tigers threw an ideal sport final month, and New York Yankees’ Domingo German threw an ideal sport in June towards the Oakland Athletics.
The Astros scored each of their runs within the third on Kyle Tucker’s RBI single to heart. Houston has now received three of its final 4 video games. The Astros have a 61-47 document, which is half a sport behind the Rangers within the AL West.