Yordan Alvarez Crushes Two Home Runs, Astros Win 8-0

For the first time since June 3, the Astros had Kyle Tucker in their lineup. That development by itself was a massive upgrade for Houston. While Tucker only served as the designated hitter, his presence in the top half of the lineup matters, even if he needed to shake off some rust. Again, the impact of Tucker in this offense can’t be overstated.

As for the actual game, it was essentially Framber Valdez and Yordan Alvarez who led the charge. The former held one of the best lineups in baseball to two hits and three walks for his seven scoreless innings, striking out seven. Valdez’s secondary pitches — curveball and changeup — worked well, generating a combined nine whiffs on 19 swings. Thanks to his strong start, Valdez now has a 2.97 ERA on the season. It isn’t necessarily a bounce-back season for the left-hander, but it alleviates some concerns from 2023.

The lineup got off to another slowish start at the plate, with Brandon Pfaadt limiting the Astros to only one run in the first four innings, with the only blemish being Mauricio Dubón’s RBI single to score Ben Gamel back in the second inning. Sure, Tucker was back, but Alex Bregman had the game off as the Astros managed his elbow injury. But the game would break open for Houston in that eventful fifth inning. Dubón would single again to lead off the bottom half of the inning followed by another single from Jose Altuve. With Yordan Alvarez coming to the plate, guess how this one ended.

And, just like that, the Astros found themselves with a 4-0 lead. A satisfying development after that mess in Cincinnati earlier in the week. Following Yainer Díaz’s walk, however, we would see the lineup not take advantage again. Well, in that inning. The offensive outburst was renewed relatively soon after in the sixth inning, with another RBI single — this time from Altuve — followed by yet again another three-run shot by Alvarez.

Héctor Neris would relieve Valdez for the eighth inning, tossing a scoreless frame. Nick Hernandez, recently recalled from Sugar Land, pitched in the ninth inning to complete the shutout of the Diamondbacks. With the Mariners winning their game against the Cardinals, the Astros remain 4 ¹⁄₂ games ahead for the AL West lead. Yusei Kikuchi gets the starting nod on Saturday opposite Eduardo Rodriguez.