Starter Framber Valdez pitched five hits and two runs in five innings for the Astros’ second straight victory over the Rockies in Mexico.
MEXICO CITY – Dominican left-hander Framber Valdez pitched five innings in his return from the disabled list, his compatriot Yainer Diaz drove in two runs and Venezuelan José Altuve scored three times as the Houston Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 8-2. on Sunday, and will complete a sweep of the two-game interleague series in Mexico City.
Valdez (1-0) allowed five hits and two runs, walked none and struck out six batters, throwing 71 pitches in his first start since April 2. The Dominican went on the injured list with inflammation in his elbow after he was unable to finish his at-bat against the Kansas City Royals on April 8.
The bullpen (Dominicans Rafael Montero and Bryan Abreú, and Americans Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader) pitched four scoreless innings, the fifth time that the manager’s relievers Joe Espada They do not allow races in a crash.
The Astros scored 20 runs and hit six home runs in the series, their most in two games this season, and had 23 hits to improve to 9-19, while the Rockies are now 7-21, third-worst. Major League Baseball in 2024.
Houston, which has won all four of its games in Mexico, scored two runs in the first inning against left-hander Austin Gomber (0-2). Altuve hit, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cuban Yordan Álvarez and Kyle Tucker homered for the second day in a row.
The Rockies had their best moment of the afternoon in the second inning, when they scored twice against Valdez to tie the score at 2-2. A hit by Sean Biuchard and a sacrifice fly by Jacob Stallings produced the scores.
But the game was a monologue from then on. Altuve hit a 438-foot home run (his longest in five years) in the third and Dominican shortstop Jeremy Pena followed with another four-corner blast in the fourth.
Diaz’s two-run double led a four-run eighth inning that sealed the game.
