With its rotation obsessed with injuries, Houston Astros’s left -hander needs to be valdez to be their stopper.
This assignment will continue Monday night when Astros visits St. Louis Cardinals to open a series of three games.
Valdez (1-1, 2.50 era) threw six shut-off rounds in a Tuesday without a decision at Seattle in its previous start. He allowed only two hits while he knocked out eight and went one when Houston won 2-1 in 12 rounds.
It was the second time in three starts that he lost his opponent. On March 27 against the New York Mets, Valdez’s seven shutdown rounds and gave up only four hits.
On Tuesday, he was fantastic when he recovered from a disease.
“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t feel 100 percent, maybe as 70, 80 percent,” he told reporters through an interpreter. “But the important thing is that I went out there and I could do my job.”
With Astros missing jugs like Luis Garcia (Tommy John Surgery), Spencer Arrhetti (Broken Thumb), Lance McCullers Jr. (Flexor Tendon Tear) and Cristian Javier (Tommy John Surgery), performances that his Gem in Seattle give the team a huge lift.
“I asked him,” Dude, you are the essay of this time, need you to go out there and post and give us a good excursion; We need you, “said Astros manager Joe Espada.” And he did. “
Valdez lost his only previous start to the Cardinals, which came in 2023. He allowed four runs on eight hits and three walks in six rounds.
Astro’s other bass man Brendan Rodgers was on the page the last three games with a sore hip. Mauricio Dubon went 1-for-2 with two runs and an RBI in its place Sunday when Houston defeated Los Angeles Angels 7-3 to win the weekend series.
St. Louis will counteract Valdez with its starter # 1, Sonny Gray (2-0, 4.50 era), on Monday. Cardinals handled Gray with care in their last start, which came under windy conditions in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Gray had struggled during spring training as he tried to regain lost speed on his quick ball. The right hand allowed two homers and five runs in their six rounds against the angels on April 2 in their previous start.
But Gray held Pirates to a run of three hits in five rounds in a 5-3 victory. He knocked out four and went no one while he only made 71 seats.
Gray has 19 strikes and only two walks in 16 rounds this season. He is 4-4 with a 3.03 era in 12 career start against Astros.
With Catcher Ivan Herrera (knee injury) and card stop Masyn Winn (rear spasms) on the injured list, the cardinals need more from the first bass man Willson Contreras.
After taking Friday while sitting on a .102 slag average, Contrera’s 4-for-8 went with a Homer, double and three RBI in his two next matches against Philadelphia Phillies.
“I’m proud of that guy, how we handled the downside of the beginning of this year,” said cardinal manager Oliver Marmol. “It’s been impressive, especially you know what kind of player you have on your hands; he’s an emotional guy. He’s extremely competitive.”
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Nolan Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI double when the Cardinals defeated Phillie’s 7-0 Sunday. Cardinals must also get him
.
“This guy has grinding, he got some really good swings today too,” Marmol said. “It was great to see both guys come through as they did today.”
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