Astros ace Valdez steals show in Verlander's homecoming

HOUSTON -- Last year, the Astros would turn their eyes to ace pitcher Justin Verlander when they needed a win the most. If they were in the midst of a losing streak, it was Verlander who repeatedly came to the rescue and got the team back on track. He was 8-0 last year when he pitched the game following a Houston loss.

At no point in the 2023 season did the Astros need a win more than they did Tuesday night against the Mets. They were riding a season-high five-game losing streak and now, somehow, had to find a way to beat Verlander, who was making his return to Minute Maid Park for the first time since he signed with the Mets over the offseason.

Needing someone else to play the role of stopper, left-hander Framber Valdez was up to the challenge. Valdez outdueled Verlander by holding the Mets to two runs and four hits while striking out nine batters in eight innings as the Astros finally reached 40 wins with a 4-2 victory over the Mets.

“It looked like he had a chance to throw a complete-game shutout, but those guys over there foiled his outing in the eighth, but he gave us all he had,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “It’s been a while trying to get to this 40. We’ve been knocking on that door for five games. I hope we never go through a streak like that for the rest of the year. It seemed like we haven’t won in a month, but that was a big one for us to win.”

Valdez (7-5, 2.27 ERA) didn’t allow a baserunner until Mark Canha’s one-out single in the sixth inning and he carried a shutout into the eighth. Verlander (2-4, 4.50), who helped the Astros win two World Series titles and won two American League Cy Young Awards in his five seasons in Houston, allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings.

“It hurt a little bit [when] they got that base hit to right field, but the only thing I could do was continue throwing my pitches and try to get out of that inning,” Valdez said.

Valdez improved to 4-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in his past six starts, strengthening his case to make his second consecutive All-Star team. He got 19 swings and misses, including 11 with his cutter. He threw the cutter (27 pitches) and sinker (40) the most, while mixing in his curveball (17) and changeup (10).

"He's got four above-average pitches, and I think it's really difficult to recognize spin off him,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said. “That's why you see some good hitters swinging at pitches that your first thought is, 'Why are they swinging at that pitch?' But the spin is so tight on it that there's a lot of late recognition on the pitch and you don't have that much time. I think that's something that people miss about him is how late the recognition of the spin is on his two breaking balls."

Alex Bregman slugged a two-run homer in the third inning that put the Astros ahead, 3-0, and Jose Altuve drove in a pair of runs with a sacrifice fly in the third and an RBI single in the seventh. Bregman’s homer was the 150th of his career, and his first on a 3-0 count.

“Most of the time, I don’t swing 3-0,” he said. “Most of the time, I take, so I gave it a shot today. I probably won’t swing again for a while, 3-0.”

Four years ago, Valdez was a fledgling pitcher on a pitching staff that included Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke, but he’s emerged as Houston’s ace. Astros closer Ryan Pressly, who worked the ninth for his 13th save, said the players have just as much confidence with Valdez on the mound as any of those guys, including Verlander.

“He goes out there and he’s just a bulldog,” Pressly said. “He’ll go after you. In this game, that’s what you need. You need guys to attack the strike zone and go deep into games and save your bullpen and just give us a quality start and give us a chance to win, and he’s done that every single time he’s been out there. That’s all, as a team, we can ask for. He does it every single time he takes the ball.”