ASTROS DEFEAT A'S

Valdez strikes out eight, Astros limit A's to two hits in 3-0 victory

Valdez strikes out eight, Astros limit A's to two hits in 3-0 victory
Astros defeat the A's, 3-0. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

Framber Valdez struck out eight in seven strong innings and combined with Seth Martinez for a two-hitter, and the Houston Astros beat the Oakland Athletics 3-0 on Wednesday for their season-high fourth straight victory.

Valdez (3-1) allowed both hits and walked two. The left-hander recorded 11 groundouts.

Valdez has yielded two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. Martinez earned his first save of the season.

Oakland’s only hits off Valdez were a weak infield single by J.D. Davis in the fourth and Shea Langeliers' single in the seventh. The A’s have lost four straight.

The A’s put runners on first and second in the ninth on an error by Alex Bregman and Tyler Soderstrom's walk, but Langeliers grounded into a double play to end it.

Jose Altuve singled leading off the first, had reached third on Kyle Tucker's double and scored on a throwing error by Zack Gelof, who was trying to get Tucker at second. Tucker scored on Bregman's sacrifice fly two batters later.

Mauricio Dubón added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to make it 3-0.

Aaron Brooks (0-1) surrendered three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in seven innings in his first start since Sept. 13, 2019, when he was with Baltimore. It was his first major league appearance since April 28, 2022.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: LHP Alex Wood was placed on the 15-day injured list with left rotator cuff tendonitis and LHP Brady Basso was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to make room for Brooks on the roster. The A’s also recalled LHP Hogan Harris from Las Vegas. INF Darrell Hernaiz (left ankle) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Astros: OF Chas McCormick (right hamstring discomfort) went 0 for 4 in a start for Double-A Corpus Christi in his third game of an injury rehabilitation assignment.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Cristian Javier (2-1, 4.01 ERA) starts Thursday opposite Oakland RHP Joey Estes (1-0, 1.80 ERA) in the finale of the four-game series.

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Derek Stingley Jr. just got paid! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans have secured their lockdown corner for the future, agreeing to a three-year, $90 million extension with Derek Stingley Jr., according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes a staggering $89 million in guaranteed money, making Stingley one of the highest-paid defensive backs in NFL history.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Stingley's extension will kick in after his fifth-year option, which the Texans picked up ahead of the extension. He's now under team control for the next five seasons.


Stingley, 23, is coming off a breakout All-Pro season in which he recorded five interceptions (seven if you include the playoffs) and proved to be one of the league’s elite shutdown corners. His performance was instrumental in the Texans' defensive resurgence, solidifying his role as a cornerstone of the franchise.

The only lingering concern for Houston is Stingley’s durability. While he played all 17 regular season games in 2025, it was the first time he managed a full season in the NFL. Injuries limited him to just nine games in 2022 and 11 in 2023. The Texans are banking on his ability to stay on the field, confident that his elite talent outweighs the risks.

With this extension, Houston locks in a defensive playmaker as they continue to build a championship-caliber roster around quarterback C.J. Stroud. If Stingley stays healthy, this investment could pay massive dividends for the Texans' future.


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