Yainer Diaz homers in his 4th straight game Framber Valdez throws a 4-hitter Astros top Halos 7-1.SPORTS
Yainer Diaz homered in his fourth consecutive game and drove in three runs, and Framber Valdez pitched a four-hitter in the Houston Astros’ 7-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Yordan Alvarez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the five-run seventh inning by the Astros, who opened a weekend series at the Big A with their fifth win in eight games.
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Valdez (5-3) struck out eight in his seventh complete game and his first since his no-hitter last August. Valdez frequently dominates the Angels, including three career outings with at least 12 strikeouts along with five victories in eight career starts at Angel Stadium.
Valdez dedicated his performance to teammate Cristian Javier, who had Tommy John surgery this week and won’t return to the mound until late next season at the earliest.
“It’s one of those games for your record, for yourself, for your future, is really good,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “I spoke to Cristian earlier today, and I told him, ‘I’m going to throw a really good game today, because we need it.'”
Valdez didn’t walk a batter until Taylor Ward drew a walk with two outs in the ninth. Manager Joe Espada decided to allow Valdez to face only one more hitter, and shortstop Jeremy Peña made a diving catch on Kevin Pillar’s line drive for the final out.
Diaz connected for a two-run shot moments after Alvarez put Houston ahead, giving him nine RBIs in the past four games. Diaz homered in every game of the Astros’ series against St. Louis earlier this week, and his blast to left off the Angels’ Hunter Strickland was his seventh of the season.
“When you put in the effort and you get really focused, the results come in ways you’re not even expecting,” Diaz said through an interpreter.
Before this week’s power surge, Diaz had just one homer in his previous 51 games, and none in 39 games since April 11. He hit 23 homers last season in his first full big league campaign.
“There might have been a little anxiety there, doing a little too much to try to help the team,” Diaz said. “Now I’m being more of the player that I really am. Just trying to be calm and knowing what I can do.”
José Abreu also homered in the eighth for Houston.
Pillar homered for the Angels, whose three-game winning streak ended just short of matching their longest run of the season.
“We faced one of the best pitchers in the game, and he had to be at his best against us, and he was,” Angels manager Ron Washington said.
