Valdez, Springer lift Astros to commanding 2-0 series lead.
After eruption from Maldonado, Valdez settles into groove and helps Astros get jump on A’s
Framber Valdez deployed his sharp-breaking curveball, the Ax, with maximum efficiency Tuesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, but only after first getting a stern lecture from Astros catcher Martin Maldonado.
Valdez, who got the win while allowing two runs on five hits through seventh innings, got off to a semi-rocky start in the first inning with what Maldonado considered sub par location and velocity.
“He asked if I was mad, and I said, ‘It’s playoff baseball. There’s no room for error,’ ” Maldonado said. “His first pitch fastball was like 90 mph and I said, ‘What is that? Come on.’ He said, ‘I’m not warm yet,’ and I said, ‘It’s too hot out here. You should be warm.’ ”
Suitably chastised, Valdez got back on track and, save for solo home runs allowed to Khris Davis in the second inning and Chad Pinder in the fourth, handcuffed the A’s the rest of the way to give the Astros the hammer in the best- of-five series.
“He’s been our horse, the guy we needed,” Maldonado said. “He stepped up, nothing different than what he did today. He pounded the strike zone, his curve ball was asnasty as it always is. He and (Cristian) Javier have been carrying us, especially from a starter’s standpoint.”
Valdez threw 103 pitches, 65 for strikes, and got six swings and misses on 42 curveballs while recording 11 outs on groundouts with four strikeouts and a walk. On an afternoon when the ball once again went flying across Dodger Stadium, he allowed only three soft contact singles to go with the two home runs.
Valdez said that Maldonado, oncemore, was able to guide him through the few tough times he experienced against the A’s lineup.
“Sometimes I trust in him more than I do my own thought processes on what pitch to throw in what situations,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “He has been around the game for so long and knows so much that it’s a huge key for me to have a guy like
that behind the plate.”
Playing in front of Major League Baseball’s most efficient defense, Valdez benefited from
double plays in the first and fourth innings and from Maldonado throwing out Stephen Piscotty at second after the A’s out
fielder tried to advance on a wild pitch in the third inning.
Second baseman Jose Altuve contributed a nice play up the middle to retire Piscotty to end the fifth inning.
“The defense has always been quality behind me,” Valdez said. “It’s tough when you have a runner on first, because maybe you’re not 100 percent focused on the man at the plate.
“When I have a runner on first, my biggest focus is to get a groundball to get a double play. I’m not looking to punch anybody out.”
Other than a hanging curveball that resulted in Davis’ homer, “His performance was great,” manager Dusty Baker said. “The rest of the curveballs were down low. He back doors them, he front doors them, then he’ll throw a fastball by you.”
With theAthletics looking to go to the opposite field early, Valdez said Maldonado instructed him to pitch more inside, which led to the string of weak contract groundball outs that followed.
“He can move the ball around with the best of them,” said outfielder George Springer. “He understandswhat his stuff does and hasMaldonado to hone him back in if things start getting a little out of there.”
With Lance McCullers Jr. still rounding into form after missing last season following Tommy John surgery, Justin Verlander on the injured list and Zack Greinke having struggled of late and possibly sidelined due to arm soreness, Valdez has assumed outsized importance for the Astros’ playoff hopes that overshadows even his wildest expectations entering the season.
“My first couple of years here weren’t the greatest. They were a little bit unstable,” he said. “I cameintothis yearwith apositive attitude to demonstrate that I’m able to get out of tough situations.
“I’m playing the best ball ofmy life right now. I’m trying to take advantage of every single opportunity that I get. It doesn’tmatter how much success I have, I always stay focused. These are things I can look back on, but I can’t let things get out of hand. I need to stay focused.”