Astros shine: Framber pitched seven scoreless innings and Yordan hit a home run in his return

Houston, Texas. – Dominican left-hander Framber Valdez once again shone from the mound and led the Houston Astros to an important 4-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies, this Wednesday at Daikin Park, amidst the fight for the American League playoff spots.

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Valdez, who hadn't won in over a month, pitched seven scoreless innings, limiting the Rockies to just three hits and two walks, with five strikeouts. It was a performance that recalled the consistency that characterized him during his dominant streak between May and July, when he accumulated a 10-0 record and a 1.86 ERA in 13 consecutive starts. "We needed this outing from Framber. He showed aggression and went back to being that starter who controls the game from the beginning," noted bench coach Omar López, who managed the team in place of Puerto Rican manager Joe Espada, absent due to health issues. The bullpen completed the shutout with impeccable work from Bryan King and also Dominican Bryan Abreu, signing Houston's tenth scoreless game of the season.

Yordan returns with a monumental home run

In the offensive, the Cuban Yordan Álvarez, who reappeared this week after more than three months on the injured list, hit a home run of 421 feet to center field in the eighth inning, his first home run since his return. Rookie Cam Smith also provided power with a home run in the seventh inning, while the Dominican Jesús Sánchez opened the scoring early with a run-scoring single in the first inning. For Colorado, starter Chase Dollander turned in a solid performance with six innings of one run, but was punished by his team's lack of offensive support.

Astros maintain lead in the West

With this triumph, the Astros consolidate their lead in the American League West Division, where they maintain a 1.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners.