Spot starter Valdez far from spot on
Lefthander fails to finish 4-run first as final place in rotation an enigma
ARLINGTON — Framber Valdez strode into Globe Life Park wearing red-tinted reflective sun glasses and a skin-tight black shirt decorated with white orchids. His breezy swagger grew more enviable with each high-five he received from Astros teammates who welcomed him back. They last saw him on June 26 when he could not make it past the third inning of a blowout loss.
The brawny lefthander does not lack confidence, but command has eluded him.
No pitcher in the Astros organization has pitched well enough to secure the fifth spot in the rotation. Valdez allowed 11 runs in less than seven total innings his previous two starts. His call-up from the
minors for a spot start Thursday night was not an audition but a reach for duct tape to hold the Astros together, while the front office feels out the final three weeks of the trade market.
Repeatedly, the organization has asked Valdez to focus on a simple objective. If he can spot his sinking fastball low in the strike zone, he can avoid the counts that leverage hitters, the walks that set opponents up for easy runs and the short outings that gut the bullpen — a reservoir the Astros will need to get through 14 consecutive games without a day off.
Thursday was the first of four games against the Texas Rangers. Valdez could not complete a fourrun first inning, and the Astros went on to lose 5-0.
Valdez walked the leadoff hitter, left a curveball up for a double and saw a groundout push across the only run the Rangers would need.
“That was the beginning of a really bad inning,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’ve seen this out of him.”
More hits, more walks, more reasons to regret Valdez’s call-up mounted. The final hit that Valdez, a groundball pitcher, allowed was the only one the Rangers elevated for a line drive.
He gave up four runs, three hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning. He exited with the bases loaded. Reliever Chris Devenski came in to get the third out.
Hinch considered his team lucky to get out of the first inning down “only four runs.”
Rookie righthander Cy Sneed fulfilled a role that quickly is becoming familiar to him. As he had done in his major league debut, Sneed stitched together the middle of a blowout loss. He held the Rangers to one run and struck out seven batters over five innings.
“He got some funny swings from guys,” Hinch said. “We take notice of that. There’s going to be a normal game he pitches in. It’s not only in the long-man duty.”
Sneed’s efforts gave the Astros a chance to come back, but Rangers starter Lance Lynn (12-4) ensured they would not have an opening.
Against an offense that whiffs less than any other in baseball, Lynn had 11 strikeouts in seven innings. The Astros stranded eight runners. Only George Springer had multiple hits.
“They spotted him a four-run lead, and then he was in attack mode from the first inning on,” Hinch said.
Lynn overpowered the Astros with three types of fastballs. He used his fourth pitch, a curveball, only five times. The righthander’s four-seam fastball induced 12 swinging strikes and froze batters with 13 called strikes.
“He seems to be throwing harder this year,” Astros outfielder Josh Reddick said.
He is. At 32 and on his fourth team in four years, Lynn is averaging a career-high 94 mph. His four-seamer averaged 95 mph Thursday.
Alex Bregman exited in the third inning. A groundball, which Shin-Soo Choo struck at 99 mph, took a bad hop that walloped Bregman in the face. It split open his chin and left him looking disoriented.
“That was scary,” Hinch said.
Bregman received four stitches and went through concussion protocol. He was not available for comment after the game. Hinch would not speculate on Bregman’s availability for Friday.
Sneed provided the Astros’ only moments of positivity.
“Whatever they need me to do,” Sneed said.
He improved his chances of getting a shot at the No. 5 spot when it comes around Tuesday in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. He showed that he can do what Valdez could not.
“He’s a consistent strike thrower,” Hinch said.
The All-Star break gave the staff a chance to rest. Then Valdez immediately burdened it.
“I don’t care about the number of starters, as much I do about how games like this impact the next five to seven days,” Hinch said. “The No. 1 goal of a starting pitcher is to give yourself a chance to win.
“When you have a game like this, it does hurt you today, but it hurts you tomorrow and the next day, as well.”