20 and (still) counting: Valdez ties club record for consecutive quality starts

CHICAGO -- Astros manager Dusty Baker wishes people would quit counting the number of consecutive quality starts Framber Valdez has been amassing. Baker wants everyone to sit back and simply enjoy the brilliance of the All-Star left-hander, who has teamed with Justin Verlander for a dominating 1-2 punch atop the Houston rotation.

Valdez’s streak of quality starts can’t be ignored, however, certainly not on Wednesday, when he held the White Sox to two runs and seven hits in seven innings to lead the Astros to a 3-2 win at Guaranteed Rate Field. In the process, Valdez tied Mike Scott’s club record from 1986 with his 20th consecutive quality start, which is defined as throwing at least six innings and giving up three earned runs or fewer.

He’ll go for the club record of 21 next week in Houston. Sorry, Dusty, we’re still counting.

“I kind of wish we’d quit counting 'cause that keeps the pressure on him,” Baker said. “Just go out there and give us what you have, Framber. He knows how to get out of trouble. Sometimes, he knows how to get in trouble. The key is, he knows he can throw up a ground-ball double play. His curveball was really good early in the game, then lost it and found it again.”

Valdez is the fifth pitcher since 2000 to record 20 consecutive quality starts. Jacob deGrom recorded 26 from 2018-19 for the Mets, Jake Arrieta had 24 from 2015-16 for the Cubs, Chris Carpenter had 22 in 2005 for the Cardinals and Johan Santana had 21 in 2004 for the Twins.

"He would be a good fit with anybody,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “A lot of weapons and the catcher handles him very well.”

Valdez (12-4) is 11-3 with a 2.53 ERA and 1.10 WHIP during the streak of 20 consecutive quality starts, which are the most in the Major Leagues this year. He’s thrown two complete games in the streak and pitched at least seven innings nine times, including Wednesday’s 100-pitch effort.

“I just try to go in there and just pitch and just let things happen,” Valdez said. “When I’m in there, I don’t think about my pitch count, or how many strikeouts I have or my ERA or things like that. Hopefully, good things happen.”

As usual, Valdez had to overcome some early trouble to keep his streak alive. The White Sox loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth after pushing a run across, but Valdez got Josh Harrison to hit into a 6-4-3 double play and struck out Adam Engel looking.

“He’s got good stuff,” Engel said. “Good command. One of the best curveballs probably in the league. And then he’s anywhere from 92-96 [mph] with a sinker, moves pretty good, too. When he’s locating, executing pitches, especially the middle of our order, we’ve got a lot of guys that can do a lot of damage, so you have to be a little more careful with those guys. It makes my job a little bit easier [and] hopefully he’s worked hard enough when he gets to me. He throws really, really good stuff, locates really well.”

The double play loomed large Wednesday as it often does for Valdez, who entered the game with a career 66.8 percent ground ball percentage. That ranks as the highest percentage in the Majors since the start of the 2018 season (minimum 400 innings). He got a 5-4-3 double play in the sixth and a 4-6-3 double play to end the seventh, with second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Jeremy Peña turning a nifty exchange at second.

“I wish he wouldn’t get in trouble, but sometimes he gets in trouble with the breaking ball, but that breaking ball gets him out of trouble,” Baker said. “His main bread and butter that gets him out of trouble is his sinker. It’s hard to elevate it. Usually they put it on the ground, sometimes they find a hole. I’m glad that we won.”