HOUSTON — Dominican Framber Valdez took a no-hitter into the seventh and Cuban Yordan Álvarez hit two of Houston’s four home runs in the Astros’ 5-2 victory Saturday against the Minnesota Twins.
Valdez (4-3) did not allow a hit until the single at the top of the seventh and ended up giving up two hits and one run, with four strikeouts in seven innings.
Álvarez hit his two-run homer off Joe Ryan (4-4) in the first and a solo at the start of the fifth to make it 5-0. It is his third multi-homer home run this season and the 18th of his career.
The troubled Cuban José Abreu hit his first home run and his second extra-base hit of the season in the second inning. Kyle Tucker added another homer in the third to reach 19 this year and which is second in the Major Leagues behind Aaron Judge’s 20.
For the Twins, the Dominicans Manuel Margot 2-1 with one run scored, Carlos Santana 2-0. Puerto Ricans Carlos Correa 4-1 with an RBI, José Miranda 4-1 with an RBI, Willi Castro 4-0, Christian Vázquez 3-0.
For the Astros, Venezuelan José Altuve is 3-1. Cuban Yordan Álvarez was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Dominican Jeremy Peña 4-1. Cuban José Abreu was 3-1 with one run scored and one RBI. Honduran Mauricio Dubón 4-1.
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