Astros Extend Their Streak to Six Against the Rays, 6-1

Valdez shines behind Bregman and Diaz homers

The Astros won their sixth straight, and as they did in Boston, did so with fine starting pitching and timely long balls.

The recent home run spree continued almost immediately, as Alex Bregman hit his third home run in three days to give the Astros an early 1-0 lead.

In the third inning the Astros had another explosive, multi-run inning so characteristic of the recent win streak, punctuated by Yainer Diaz’s three run homer, capping off the four run outbreak.

The Rays got a run back in the bottom of the third, getting their only “earned, ” not-so-earned run off Framber Valdez. Not-so-earned because right fielder Pedro Leon totally misjudged a routine fly resulting in a Rays “triple” that resulted in a Rays run. The flyball had a 0.010 hit probability. I believe that equals a 99% out probability. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Meanwhile, Leon was 0-4 at the plate with two strikeouts and an inning-ending GIDP. In limited time, his season BA at the end of the game is .118.

The anti-Leon, Alexander of Macedonia, made this great play in the sixth inning.

The Astros added another run in the fifth when a Yordan Alvarez leadoff double eventually led to a run after a Jake Meyers fielder’s choice sent him home from third base.

Framber Valdez notched another win for the battered and under-rated Astros starting pitching staff, going 5.2 strong innings, allowing just three hits with nine Ks. Valdez’s curve was popping for him tonight. Twelve of his 101 pitchers were swinging strikes, eight of those were curves.

The Astros have won all nine of the last games started by Valdez.

At the end of Spring Training how many people would have predicted that guys named Tay Scott and Caleb Ort would be closing out crucial games in the midst of a hotly contested pennant race? How many people even knew who they were?

After Valdez’s exit, Scott threw 1.1 innings with a hit and a K.

The waiver acquisition, Ort, threw two perfect innings with two Ks. Ort’s ERA and xFIP this year since joining the Astros off the trash heap is 0.90 and 1.68 respectively. His top FB velocity was nearly 99MPH.

Where did this guy come from?

Yusei Kikuchi, who started his Astros career against these Rays, gets another shot tomorrow starting 5:50 CT.

Box score HERE.