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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The Jets host the Texans and their scary defense on Halloween night! Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Houston (6-2) at New York Jets (2-6)

Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Amazon Prime

BetMGM NFL odds: Jets by 2.

Against the spread: Texans 3-4-1; Jets 2-6.

Series record: Jets lead 7-3.

Last meeting: Jets beat Texans 30-6 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 10, 2023.

Last week: Texans beat Colts 23-20; Jets lost to Patriots 25-22.

Texans offense: overall (9t), rush (18), pass (8), scoring (14).

Texans defense: overall (2), rush (13), pass (3), scoring (15t).

Jets offense: overall (24), rush (30), pass (13), scoring (25).

Jets defense: overall (4), rush (17), pass (2), scoring (11t).

Turnover differential: Texans plus-4; Jets minus-3.

Texans player to watch

RB Joe Mixon. He has carried Houston's offense in the three games since he returned from an injury and could be even more important this week after wide receiver Stefon Diggs tore the ACL in his right knee last Sunday and is out for the season. Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 100.6 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing and a TD run in three straight games.

Jets player to watch

Edge rusher Haason Reddick. After ending his lengthy contract holdout early last week, Reddick made his Jets debut and played 26 snaps on defense with two quarterback pressures while working mostly on third downs. His snaps might increase a bit Thursday and he could help the Jets get after C.J. Stroud, who has been sacked 22 times this season — tied for third most in the NFL.

Key matchup

Jets offensive line vs. Texans' pass rush. New York has had issues this season with injuries, consistency and protecting Aaron Rodgers. The Jets will face a tough test Thursday night against the Texans, whose 27 sacks are third in the NFL. DE Will Anderson Jr. is tied for third in the league with a career-high 7 1/2 sacks, including at least one in his past three games. DE Danielle Hunter has 5 1/2 sacks and DT Tim Settle has four, powering a formidable defensive front for Houston. Hunter leads the league with 51 quarterback pressures and Anderson is fourth with 39, the only teammates in the top 15, according to Next Gen Stats.

Key injuries

Diggs' injury leaves Houston without its top two receivers. Nico Collins, who leads the Texans with 567 yards receiving, is out for at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. ... S Calen Bullock was limited in practice Monday and Tuesday after injuring his shoulder Sunday. … LBs Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and Henry To’oTo’o (concussion) both missed the Colts game, but could return this week. … S Jimmie Ward could miss a fifth straight game with a groin injury. … LG Jarrett Patterson is in the concussion protocol and is likely out. … RB Dameon Pierce missed practice this week with a groin injury. ... Jets LB C.J. Mosley suffered a stinger in his neck during pregame warmups at New England and was meeting with neck and spine specialists this week. ... RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest), DL Leki Fotu (knee) and safeties Tony Adams (hamstring) and Ashtyn Davis (concussion) all missed the game vs. the Patriots and their availability for this week was uncertain. ... K Greg Zuerlein was placed on IR. Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader were signed to the practice squad, and one will be promoted for the game.

Series notes

The Jets have won the past two meetings. ... New York won the first five meetings, including the first game between the franchises in 2003, when LaMont Jordan's late 8-yard touchdown run helped lift the Jets to a 19-14 victory. ... Zach Wilson threw two touchdown passes in the most recent meeting, a 30-6 rout by New York during which Stroud left with a concussion.

Stats and stuff

The AFC South-leading Texans have won four of their past five. ... Stroud is 2-0 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions in two career starts in prime time. He had 285 yards passing last week for his ninth career game with at least that many yards passing, which is tied for second most in the NFL since 2023. ... WR Tank Dell had a touchdown reception last week and has a TD catch in two of his past three games. ... TE Dalton Schultz had a season-high 52 yards receiving against the Colts. He has two TD receptions in each of his past two Thursday night games. ... Hunter has 10½ sacks in eight career Thursday night games. … LB Neville Hewitt, who spent the 2018-21 seasons with the Jets, forced a fumble last week. … Rookie CB Kamari Lassiter had a career-high three passes defended last week. … S Jalen Pitre had his first interception of the season last week. ... S Eric Murray had seven tackles and a season-high three passes defended last week. ... New York is trying to snap a five-game skid. ... Jeff Ulbrich is 0-3 as the Jets’ interim head coach since replacing the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Ulbrich, also the team's defensive coordinator, said earlier this week he'll continue to call plays on defense. … Rodgers snapped a streak of three consecutive games with an interception. He has seven in eight games, six shy of his single-season career high set in 2008 in his first year as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. ... Rodgers hasn't passed for 300 yards since throwing for 341 against Chicago on Dec. 12, 2021 — a span of 30 regular-season games and 31 overall, including one playoff game. ... WR Garrett Wilson leads the NFL with 84 targets, 11 more than the Giants’ Malik Nabers. Wilson’s 51 receptions are second in the league behind Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, who has 52. ... WR Davante Adams had four catches for 54 yards, giving him seven receptions for 84 yards in two games since being acquired from the Raiders. ... Second-year WR Xavier Gipson caught his first career TD pass last Sunday. ... TE Tyler Conklin has a TD catch in consecutive games after not having one since catching two TD passes in Week 8 of the 2022 season against New England. ... RB Breece Hall has 316 yards receiving, the most among NFL running backs. ... Edge rusher Will McDonald has eight sacks, second in the NFL to the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (nine). … The Jets have only six takeaways, ranking among the fewest in the league. Backup CB Brandin Echols has New York's only two interceptions.

Fantasy tip

Houston wide receiver John Metchie is coming off a career-best three-catch game and could see more targets — and perhaps his first NFL touchdown — with both Diggs and Collins out. Might be worth a stash as a potential WR3.

_______________________

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