It has been a month to forget for Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros.s The 31-year-old lefthander came into his start on Wednesday, allowing 12 earned runs over three starts. Valdez and the Astros had lost their last four starts, dating back to July 22, as he allowed 27 hits during those games.
The Detroit Tigers greeted him rudely and made sure his struggles continued. They picked up four hits and six runs in the first inning, and Valdez did not help his cause with three walks. The Tigers led 6-0 after one inning.
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This game was a battle between two first-place teams, as Houston started the game with a 69-57 record, for a 1.5 game lead over Seattle in the American League West. Detroit has been on cruise control in the American League Central nearly all season. The Tigers were 75-53 and held a nine-game lead in the divisional standings.
Despite the struggles, the 31-year-old has been a mainstay in the Houston rotation. This is the fourth straight season with 25+ starts for Valdez. He has won double-digit games for the fifth straight season, and held a career 3.26 ERA coming into this game.
Valdez came into the game with an 11-6 record and a 3.01 ERA, but that went up following this start. It is likely that his next start will be on August 26 at home against the Colorado Rockies.
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