ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Houston pitcher Framber Valdez has not allowed a hit through seven innings for the Astros against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old left-hander had a perfect game through five innings, but Valdez still faced the minimum of 18 batters through six. Houston led its AL West and Texas rival 2-0.
The perfect game ended when Jonah Heim opened the sixth by reaching on third baseman Alex Bregman’s throwing error. Robbie Grossman then grounded into a double play before Ezequiel Duran was called out on strikes.
Bregman’s error came when he fielded a high chopper on the run and threw low to first baseman Jon Singleton, who couldn’t make the scoop to keep the perfect game intact.
Marcus Semien walked with two outs in the seventh to finally get a fourth batter to the plate in an inning for Texas, but Josh Jung struck out on three pitches. It was Valdez’s fifth strikeout.
It’s been a little more than a year since Valdez threw the 16th no-hitter in Houston history in a 2-0 victory over Cleveland on Aug. 1, 2023. Ronel Blanco made it 17 against Toronto on April 1.
Texas slugger Corey Seager had one of the hardest-hit outs, flying out to left fielder Yordan Alvarez on the warning track for the second out of the fourth inning.
Valdez needed 78 pitches, 51 strikes, to get through seven innings, including just four in the fifth when Jung and Wyatt Langford flied out on the first pitch and Adolis García struck out on four pitches.
Valdez entered the game 5-0 in his previous seven starts, all Houston victories.
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