HOUSTON– Framber Valdez struck out eight hits in seven strong innings and combined with Seth Martinez for a two-hitter, and the Houston Astros defeated the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Wednesday for their season-high fourth straight victory.
Valdez (3-1) allowed both hits and walked two. The lefty recorded 11 groundouts.
“I was throwing strikes, keeping the ball in the zone and trying to control the runners,” Valdez said through an interpreter.
Valdez has surrendered two runs or less in four of his last five starts. He said he knew it was important to go deep into the game after Houston had to use five substitutes on Tuesday following Ronel Blanco’s ejection to start the fourth inning following a foreign substance check.
“It was a very strong performance,” Houston coach Joe Espada said. “We needed Framber to take us deeper into the game and he did that. It was a very, very good job.”
Martinez made his first save of the season.
Oakland’s only hits against Valdez were a weak infield single by J.D. Davis in the fourth and Shea Langeliers’ single in the seventh. The A’s have lost four in a row.
Oakland coach Mark Kotsay called Valdez’s performance a “vintage Framber.”
“He was at his best tonight,” Kotsay said. “His changeup, slider, curveball. He was ahead of our righties with the sinker. When he gets into a rhythm, it’s difficult. We pulled a lot of ground balls.”
The A’s put runners on first and second in the ninth on an error by Alex Bregman and Tyler Soderstrom on the walk, but Langeliers grounded into a double play to end it.
Jose Altuve scored in front of first, reached third on Kyle Tucker’s double and scored on a throwing error by Zack Gelof, who was trying to catch Tucker at second. Tucker scored on Bregman’s sacrifice bunt two batters later.
Mauricio Dubón made a sacrifice fly on the fourth goal to make it 3-0.
Aaron Brooks (0-1) surrendered three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in seven innings in his first start since Sept. 13, 2019, when he was with Baltimore. It was his first major league appearance since April 28, 2022.
“He does a great job managing (the game), he throws shots,” Kotsay said. “He gave us a chance to be in the game.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: LHP Alex Wood was placed on the 15-day injured list with left rotator cuff tendonitis and LHP Brady Basso was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Brooks on the roster. The A’s also recalled LHP Hogan Harris from Las Vegas. INF Darrell Hernaiz (left ankle) was moved to the 60-day injured list to open up a spot on the 40-man roster.
Astros: OF Chas McCormick (right hamstring discomfort) went 0 for 4 in a start for Double-A Corpus Christi in his third game on an injury rehab assignment.
NEXT
Houston RHP Cristian Javier (2-1, 4.01 ERA) starts Thursday alongside Oakland RHP Joey Estes (1-0, 1.80 ERA) in the finale of the four-game series.
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