Framber Valdez throws no-hitter in Astros’ win over Guardians
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The Houston Astros’ Framber Valdez threw the season’s third no-hitter, blanking the Cleveland Guardians in a 2-0 win at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday evening.
That is the fifth Astros no-hitter because the 2019 season and sixteenth in crew historical past. The 16 no-hitters represents essentially the most for any MLB growth franchise added since 1961.
“Simply Framber being Framber,” Astros catcher Martín Maldonado stated.
Earlier this season, the New York Yankees’ Domingo Germán threw baseball’s first perfect game since 2012 and three Detroit Tigers pitchers joined forces for the primary mixed no-hitter in franchise historical past.
Valdez wanted simply 93 pitches to finish the gem, placing out seven batters within the course of. The 93 pitches is the fewest in a no-hitter since David Cone threw 88 pitches in a perfect game against the Montreal Expos in 1999, per ESPN Stats & Info.
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“The final couple of video games I simply wasn’t as targeted as I may have been and I’ll be the primary to confess that,” Valdez stated in Spanish by a translator. “However at the moment I simply got here very targeted, very optimistic and simply prepared to depart all of it out on the sector.”
Stated Maldonado: “I observed from the bullpen, he wasn’t joking round. He was straight enterprise from the second he walked on the market.”
Valdez’s solely blemish was a lead-off stroll administered to Oscar Gonzalez within the fifth inning. Valdez had retired the primary 12 batters, with six strikeouts, earlier than Gonzalez walked. Nevertheless, Valdez nonetheless confronted the minimal in that inning because of a double play. Within the seventh inning, Valdez deflected a excessive chopper hit by José Ramírez and Jeremy Pena’s throw to first barely beat Ramírez there for the third out.
“After I bought to the seventh inning I assumed to myself, ‘OK, I can end this recreation with none hits,’” Valdez stated. “Acquired to the eighth inning and nonetheless felt good, felt prefer it was nonetheless the primary inning so I stated. ‘I’m simply going to proceed attacking the hitters, making an attempt to do my finest on the market.’”
Final season, the Astros had two mixed no-hitters, the primary on June 25 against the New York Yankees and the second in Game 4 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
It was a giant day for the Astros, who additionally made a blockbuster trade for future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander, who threw a no-hitter whereas with the Astros in 2019.
“It was kind of destined to be,” supervisor Dusty Baker stated of Valdez recording the Astros’ first solo no-hitter since Verlander’s on the day Verlander returned to the crew. “And I’m positive Justin is smiling proper now on his approach right here and he’ll be the primary one to congratulate Framber when he will get right here. It’s an amazing day.”
Contributing: Related Press
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