Framber giving Astros 'exactly what we need'

HOUSTON -- While the Astros ratchet up their quest to find starting pitching help on the trade market, veteran left-hander Framber Valdez has returned to his ace-like form.

Valdez matched his season high with 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 scoreless innings and won his fourth consecutive decision -- and the first in his career against the Dodgers -- to lead the Astros to a 5-0 victory at Minute Maid Park in the series opener on Friday night between perennial powers and first-place clubs.

The Astros have won each of Valdez’s last six starts, with the left-hander going 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 36 2/3 innings during that stretch to help vault Houston past Seattle and back into first place in the American League West.

"That’s exactly what we need,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. "He knows that we are counting on him. He’s been our Opening Day starter for the last three years. He’s a big piece. He’s stepping up and he gave us a [great] outing there. It’s a pretty good Dodgers lineup. That was an incredible effort."

The Dodgers, who were without stars Mookie Betts (injury) and Freddie Freeman (family matter), got a double off the bat of Shohei Ohtani on the first pitch of the game before Valdez retired the next 16 batters. They were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

"It means a lot to me and for the team to give them a chance to win,” Valdez said.

Valdez (9-5) reached double-digit strikeouts for the second time in three starts and got 17 swings-and-misses. The velocity was up on all his pitches and he hit 97.6 mph with his sinker to strike out Cavan Biggio in the fifth inning. With the win, Valdez moved past Jim Deshaies and into sole possession for fifth place for the most wins for a lefty in Astros history with 62.

Six of Valdez’s strikeouts came in succession in the fourth and fifth innings and another came with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth against All-Star Teoscar Hernández. Valdez then retired Andy Pages on a flyout to end the inning.

"That was the plan,” Valdez said about the strikeout with the bases loaded. “I really didn’t want a ground ball in that situation. The strikeout is the sure thing and that’s what we were going for."

Alex Bregman clubbed a solo homer in the third inning to put the Astros ahead, 2-0, and Jon Singleton reached the upper deck with a Statcast-projected 403-foot blast in the fourth inning that made it 4-0. Both homers came off Dodgers starter Gavin Stone, who threw six innings.

"We’ve just got to find ways to score some runs -- a walk, a stolen base, try to get something going and moving the guys over with bunts,” Espada said. “That’s the kind of offense we are right now. There's some power in there, but right now we’ve got to find out some ways to get runs across the board."

Valdez was removed from the game with 96 pitches in the seventh inning to a roaring standing ovation of a sellout crowd.

"It felt very good,” he said. “I’m very thankful for the fans and all the unconditional support they’ve always given me. Whether going good or bad, they’ve given me a ton of support. I just ask them to continue supporting the Astros so we can make it back to the World Series.”

Valdez left the game with runners at first and third base and one out and Ohtani potentially looming if anyone else reached. Reliever Bryan Abreu struck out Nick Ahmed, who was the potential tying run, for the second out.

The Dodgers appeared to have scored a run on a Gavin Lux infield hit, but the Astros challenged the play and got the run taken off the board because third baseman Bregman tagged out Kiké Hernández rounding second for the third out before Miguel Vargas had touched home.

"That was a good, heads-up play and also a good, heads-up play by our video guy, seeing that the whole dugout screamed,” Espada said. “It was a reviewable play and we were able to catch it. That would have brought Ohtani to the plate representing the tying run and that’s something we were trying to avoid."

Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Tayler Scott combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings the rest of the way, with Astros pitchers recording a season-high-tying 15 strikeouts combined on the night.