Valdez and Javier dazzle in spring debuts
JUPITER, Fla. — If there is a competition to be the Astros’ opening day starter, consider Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier deadlocked.
Valdez and Javier, the two starters who should sit atop Houston’s rotation when the regular season begins, tossed two scoreless innings apiece against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday during their Grapefruit League debuts.
“They were sharp. They were very sharp,” manager Dusty Baker said after Houston’s 6-0 win. “That was very impressive.”
Valdez fired the first two innings before Javier entered for two more. Each delivered a vintage outing, overwhelming a Cardinals lineup that contained reigning National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt, ballyhooed free-agent acquisition Willson Contreras and superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado.
Three of Valdez’s six outs arrived on the ground, including a ground-ball double play to erase Arenado’s leadoff single in the second. Javier got weak fly ball contact while wielding his trademark four-seam fastball — the invisiball — to finish all three of his strikeouts. Both of Valdez’s strikeouts arrived on his wicked curveball.
“I think our rotation is really good,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “We have a really good, strong rotation, and we are all positive. I can see us making it back to the postseason again, but we are all working to continue to stay strong and get back there again.”
Baker worried about how both pitchers would navigate the new pitch clock, especially after Hunter Brown’s struggles Wednesday afternoon. Valdez committed the only violation at the start of the second inning when he threw an extra warmup pitch after the clock had reached 30 seconds. Valdez started down 1-0 in the count against Arenado as a result.
“I felt a little bit rushed there. I got dinged there for that ball with Arenado, but I think that’s something I’m going to get accustomed to, and I’m going to be able to control those moments,” Valdez said. “I think I just need to get accustomed to it, doing the breathing between innings or when I get the ball back (after a pitch) going back to the mound. I know it’s something I need to get accustomed to, but I know it’s something I’ll get.”
Valdez touched 96 mph with his sinker and generated his only two swings and misses with his curveball. The Cardinals took 13 swings against Javier and whiffed five times, failing to barrel his riding fastball or a darting slider he commanded well.
“I felt really good,” Javier said through an interpreter. “I’ve been working really good just to get these kinds of results, and I definitely came to the ballpark and got them today.”
Javier said he is unsure whether he will pitch another Grapefruit League game before leaving for the World Baseball Classic next week. Valdez, who intended to pitch in the tournament with his fellow Dominican, pulled out after the Astros expressed concerns about his heavy workload from last season.
His reward could be a second consecutive opening day start. Javier, who is now on a similar throwing schedule, must be in consideration, too.