On the same day that the Astros made a blockbuster trade deadline move to grab former ace Justin Verlander, the last Houston pitcher to throw a solo no-hitter, a current member of the rotation matched his past accomplishment to steal some of the headlines.
Framber Valdez threw his first career no-hitter Tuesday night, shutting out the Guardians on just 93 pitches in a 2–0 Houston win.
Valdez, who struck out seven, allowed just one baserunner over the course of the dominant outing: Cleveland’s Oscar Gonzalez earned a walk in the fifth inning that was erased when Will Brennan grounded into a double play, meaning Valdez faced the minimum of 27 batters.
FRAMBER VALDEZ COMPLETES THE NO-HITTER ON 93 PITCHES 🤯
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 2, 2023
(via @PitchingNinja)pic.twitter.com/0Uzld3d1Il
Valdez is the first lefty in franchise history to throw a no-hitter. The 29 year-old recorded the third no-hitter this season in Major League Baseball, as well as the 16th in Astros team history.
Verlander had thrown one in 2019 for Houston, the third of his career, and the Astros had since thrown two combined no-hitters, including one in last year’s World Series against the Phillies.
Over the final three innings, Cleveland hitters only managed to leave the infield once, a line out to center in the ninth by Myles Straw. The crafty lefthander recorded seven groundouts and one strikeout over that span.
Valdez’s 93 pitches are the fewest in a no-hitter since David Cone threw 88 pitches in a perfect game against the Montreal Expos in 1999, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Valdez who improved to 9–7 on the year, leads the club in both wins and ERA (3.07). If Houston qualifies for the postseason as expected, manager Dusty Baker will have a tough decision to make as to who will start Game 1 of their playoff series.
