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2023 Houston Astros Thread

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Am I the only one that can't stand the sight of Altuve, Bregman or Tucker?  Something about each one of them just pisses me off.  

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Our buddy Chandler in the Athletic

Spoiler

Astros’ Framber Valdez throws no-hitter in win vs. Guardians

By Chandler Rome and Zack Meisel

8m ago

1

On the day the Astros added one ace, another re-announced his presence. All-Star left-hander Framber Valdez threw the 16th no-hitter in Astros history during a 2-0 win against the Guardians at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night, taking some of the attention away from Houston’s blockbuster acquisition of Justin Verlander that afternoon.

Valdez entered the outing seeking a bounce-back. He boasted a 7.00 ERA in his past five starts and had surrendered 15 earned runs in his past 15 innings, somewhat increasing the front office’s urgency to add a starting pitcher at the trade deadline.

Tuesday demonstrated how lethal Houston’s new-look rotation could be. Valdez threw the first solo no-hitter by an Astros pitcher since Verlander accomplished the feat on Sept. 1, 2019 against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Valdez is also the first left-handed pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Astros history.

Valdez needed 93 pitches to retire the minimum 27 batters he faced. His performance was a “Maddux,” too, meaning a shutout on fewer than 100 pitches. Only Oscar Gonzalez’s fifth-inning walk prevented Valdez from a perfect game. Will Brennan bounced into a double play to erase Gonzalez at first base and extricate Valdez from the jam. The outing was vintage Valdez, a groundball clinic by a sinkerballer who thrives on early, groundball contact. Twelve of Cleveland’s outs arrived on the ground and seven more were strikeouts.

Seventy-five of Valdez’s 93 pitches were either sinkers or curveballs. Cleveland put one ball in play hit harder than 100 mph and had a .151 expected batting average. The no-hitter furthered Valdez’s ascension from unheralded, $10,000 international signee to bona fide ace.

The Guardians were no-hit three times in 2021 (plus a fourth time in a seven-inning game). Cleveland hasn’t thrown a no-hitter since Len Barker’s perfect game on May 15, 1981, the longest drought in the league.

New guy at the Chronicle who really likes using author as a verb

Spoiler

Framber Valdez becomes first Astros lefthander to throw a no-hitter

Matt Kawahara

Aug. 1, 2023Updated: Aug. 1, 2023 9:42 p.m.

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Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) pitches against Cleveland Guardians David Fry during the eighth inning of a MLB baseball game at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Houston.Karen Warren/Staff photographer

Hours after the Astros reunited with their former ace, Framber Valdez served a reminder of their current one.

Valdez hurled a no-hitter against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night, the first of the lefthander’s career and 16th in franchise history. Valdez faced the minimum 27 batters, a franchise first, with his lone baserunner reaching on a walk. He used just 93 pitches to author a masterwork, the lowest total in a no-hitter since David Cone's perfect game for the Yankees in 1999.

The first lefthander in franchise history to author a no-hitter, Valdez struck out seven Guardians. He notched 12 outs via ground ball, his specialty. He is the first Astros starter to complete a solo no-hitter since Justin Verlander, the pitcher they reacquired by trade Tuesday, did so in 2019. In between, the Astros authored two combined no-hitters, both last season and started by Cristian Javier, one of those in the World Series.

A strikeout ended the bottom of the eighth for the Astros. Valdez jogged up the steps of their dugout and started toward the mound. Drama paused briefly for routine. Valdez was stopped for a substance check on his glove, then continued toward his bid for history.

Gabriel Arias hit a routine ground ball to second baseman Jose Altuve. Altuve’s throw to first base was high but hauled in by José Abreu. Myles Straw, the former Astros outfielder, skied a routine flyball to center. That brought up catcher Cam Gallagher, who entered the game with a .139 average on the season.

Valdez got ahead 0-2 with two curveballs. Gallagher flared a third softly toward shortstop Jeremy Peña. Peña gloved it as the Astros raised their arms in celebration.

Valdez struck out five of his first nine hitters, all swinging. He retired his first 12 in order. Oscar Gonzalez worked an eight-pitch walk to open the fifth. Valdez needed five pitches to end the inning, retiring David Fry on a flyout and inducing a double-play groundball from Will Brennan.

Valdez stood at 60 pitches after five innings. He needed just 11 to navigate the next two. Valdez leaned on his power sinker and curveball and mixed in the occasional curveball and cutter. Just two of the first 11 balls put into play by Cleveland carried an exit velocity above 95 mph, defined as hard-hit.

The Guardians are a contact-happy club. No offense has struck out at a lower rate this season. Only five have walked at a lower clip. Valdez played to their tendencies by inducing weak contact early in counts. He allowed just four balls in play to leave the infield through seven innings.

He needed five pitches to dispatch the top of the Guardians’ lineup in the seventh. Steven Kwan, Andrés Giménez and José Ramírez all grounded out. Ramírez struck a chopper up the middle that ricocheted off Valdez’s glove and right to shortstop Jeremy Peña, who threw to first for the out.

Valdez appeared to strike out Gonzalez to open the eighth and stalked off the mound as though he had. It was ruled Gonzalez had managed to foul off his curveball. Valdez regrouped and finished the strikeout with another curveball diving at the cleanup hitter’s back foot.

Fry hit a chopper over Valdez’s head that Peña fielded on the run, throwing to first for the out. Brennan grounded a first-pitch curveball to Altuve for a routine out, leaving Valdez three outs from history.

The Astros staked Valdez to a lead in the third. Jose Altuve singled with two outs, Peña drew a walk and both moved up on a wild pitch by Guardians starter Gavin Williams. Kyle Tucker sent a 3-2 changeup to center field for a single that scored both runners. Peña, still in the second lineup spot despite his recent struggles, reached base in all four of his plate appearances on a single, a double and two walks. 

 

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Make em eat Taco Bell

Make em eat Taco Bell 1,549

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3 of the last 5 MLB no hitters by HOUSTON ASTROS

317 June 25, 2022 Cristian Javier (7 IP) ‡
Héctor Neris (1 IP) ‡
Ryan Pressly (1 IP) ‡ 		Houston Astros 3 New York Yankees 0 AL Martín Maldonado (2) ‡ [notes 214]
318 November 2, 2022 § Cristian Javier (6 IP) ‡
Bryan Abreu (1 IP) ‡
Rafael Montero (1 IP) ‡
Ryan Pressly (1 IP) ‡ 		Houston Astros (AL) 5 Philadelphia Phillies (NL) 0 WS Christian Vázquez ‡ [notes 215]
319 June 28, 2023 Domingo Germán ‡ New York Yankees 11 Oakland Athletics 0 AL Kyle Higashioka (2) ‡ [notes 216]
320 July 8, 2023 Matt Manning (6⅔ IP) ‡
Jason Foley (1⅓ IP) ‡
Alex Lange (1 IP) ‡ 		Detroit Tigers 2 Toronto Blue Jays 0 AL Eric Haase (2) ‡ [notes 217]
321 August 1, 2023 Framber Valdez ‡ Houston Astros 2 Cleveland Guardians 0 AL Martín Maldonado (3) ‡ [notes 218]
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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 77,226

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15 minutes ago, elfenix said:

never seen a no hitter in person before.  epic.  then went down to high five @Scraps and @Ldogg53 which was almost as good.


huge let down 

 

 

10 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Pena had a great defensive night. 


the team is slowly rounding into shape 

Edited by tx 3 putt
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Planet Houston

Planet Houston 4,930

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Oh and here was the last time I was at MMP with 2 outs in the ninth during a no-hitter (also perfect game…)

I remember getting shit on the old site about celebrating this because we were so shitty. Well yeah - it was fantastic. Back when nobody had heard of something called a Marwin Gonzalez. 

Fun fact - there have been fewer instances of a perfect game getting broken up in the 9th than there have been perfect games. So that was truly historic. 

10 fucking years ago!

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tx 3 putt

tx 3 putt 77,226

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Everyone take a look at the roster and the 40 man. That’s likely it for this run. Maaaaaaaybe brantley makes it back, more than likely not. Hate who you want, but they’re locked in for this run. Healthy urquidy will be another huge boost to this pitching staff, fresh arm to eat up innings. 
 

Let’s Fucking Go !!!!

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UTexasFight

UTexasFight 9,515

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We’re 7th all time in franchise No-hitters (1 behind Giants, Reds, Cubs; 2 behind Red Sox; 4 behind White Sox; 10 behind Dodgers)

Those 6 teams have existed for at least twice as long as we have.

and ours usually have some sort of extra history to them:

Ken Johnson: 1st and only pitcher to lose a 9-inning No-hitter 

Ken Forsch: matches Bob to become the only pair of brothers with a no-hitter

Nolan: his fifth breaks Koufax’s record

Scott: only No-hitter to clinch a playoff spot

Oswalt and gang: first 6 pitcher No-hitter (Dotel K’d 4 in an inning the only time that’s happened in a no-hitter)

Javier and crew: 2nd World Series no-hitter

 

Framber might as well get us in to a tie with the Reds and himself with Vander Meer the next time out.

 

 

 

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Fudge Nuggets

Fudge Nuggets 19,209

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7 hours ago, UTexasFight said:

Congrats to all of y’all that witnessed tonight in person

I’ve now been to an Astros game one day before a perfect game (Cain, 2012) and two days before a no-hitter (Sunday) but yet to see one in person.

 

one day.

We were in town the weekend of Nolan's no-no against the Dodgers but I was unable to convince my parents to take me to the game.  They said going to my grandfather's funeral was more important.

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Wulaw Horn

Wulaw Horn 19,138

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Episode 18 of our podcast recapping the JV deal. Thanks to all that listen. We are having fun doing it- hope y’all are having fun listening. 

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/28YfTevbV7v3gXhYFp7qY5?si=MDTK4i1ZS2Sja89hZb-jeg

Apple:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...n-astros-podcast/id1683955456?i=1000623127193

Amazon:
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8...-thoughts?ref=dm_sh_AHsuQ8ofSoCkuakptVvec3lLs

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uoftorange

uoftorange 1,386

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I've been really lucky, I've been at 3 of the Astros no hitters:
Scott in 86 was a birthday present.  Lowell Passe was my next door neighbors father and he got us the tickets (we were way too po to get those ourselves).  Also gave me all the paperwork from the booth that night and got to meet a bunch of players and Milo.  
Kile - Absolute master class of a game
The combined with the new guys from Toronto, right before Sanchez was broken for good.  It was a strange game because the Astros scored so much it almost made you forget that there were no Toronto hits for a long while

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