SO CLOSE!
Framber loses no-hitter with 2 outs in 9th as Astros beat Rangers 4-2
Aug 6, 2024, 9:59 pm
Astros defeat the Rangers, 4-2. Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images.
Houston pitcher Framber Valdez lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning when Texas slugger Corey Seager hit a two-run homer in the Astros' 4-2 victory over the Rangers on Tuesday night.
Valdez was on the verge of his second no-hitter in just more than a year when Seager sent the first pitch he saw in the ninth, an 85 mph slider, into the stands in right field. It was Seager's fifth homer in five games.
The 30-year-old left-hander cruised through eight innings but finally began to stumble in the ninth, walking Robbie Grossman before Ezequiel Duran grounded into the second Texas double play of the game.
Josh Smith kept the Rangers alive with another walk, setting up Seager's 24th homer.
Valdez was immediately replaced by closer Josh Hader, who walked Marcus Semien before Josh Jung flied out to the base of the wall in right field to end the game.
Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning that ended up being the difference. Jake Meyers' drove in the first two Houston runs with a pair of RBI singles.
YORGONE ALVAREZ.#RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/q7E4mh9Wve
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 7, 2024
Valdez had a perfect game through five innings, but still faced the minimum of 18 batters through six.
The perfect game ended when Jonah Heim opened the sixth by reaching on third baseman Alex Bregman’s throwing error. Robbie Grossman then grounded into a double play before Ezequiel Duran was called out on strikes.
Bregman’s error came when he fielded a high chopper on the run and threw low to first baseman Jon Singleton, who couldn’t make the scoop to keep the perfect game intact.
Semien walked with two outs in the seventh to finally get a fourth batter to the plate in an inning for Texas, but Jung struck out on three pitches. It was Valdez’s fifth strikeout.
Valdez cruised through the eighth with routine flyouts from Wyatt Langford, Adolis García and Heim.
Valdez's other no-hitter was a 2-0 victory over Cleveland on Aug. 1, 2023.
The two-time All-Star topped out at 96.9 mph on his fastball, but created plenty of soft contact with plenty of off-speed pitches.
Seager had one of the other hardest-hit outs, flying out to left fielder Alvarez on the warning track for the second out of the fourth inning.
Valdez entered the game 5-0 in his previous seven starts, all Houston victories. He was scratched from his other scheduled start against Texas this season after losing to the World Series champions twice in the AL Championship Series last fall.
Tyler Mahle made his first start for Texas, and first since April 2023 coming off Tommy John surgery. The right-hander allowed five hits and a run in five innings. He signed a $22 million, two-year contract in December with the Rangers knowing he would rehab most of the season.
UP NEXT
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-9, 4.67 ERA) is scheduled for the Astros in the series finale after tying a franchise record with eight consecutive strikeouts in his Houston debut, a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay, following a trade with Toronto. Texas RHP José Ureña (3-6, 3.70) is set for his 27th appearance and eighth start.
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Early breakdown of how Astros stack up against potential playoff opponents
Sep 17, 2024, 5:03 pm
Though they have plenty of work to do, the Houston Texans are feeling good about their 2-0 start after dropping their first two games last season.
The Texans scored just three points after halftime Sunday night, but a smothering defensive performance allowed them to hold on for a 19-13 win over the Bears. The victory has them in early control in the AFC South after the Colts, Titans and Jaguars have all opened the season 0-2.
It’s the first time since 2016 that Houston has won its first two games.
“I definitely know that Texans football was not what we put on the field (Sunday), at least in the second half,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “We’ll definitely be better, for sure."
Stroud threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, but the Texans punted on five of their seven possessions in the second half and fumbled on another drive. Their only points after halftime came on a field goal early in the fourth quarter.
“Second half we were just flat,” Stroud said. “Just needed a big play or just needed (to) stack plays really. We just couldn’t find our rhythm.”
One thing that slowed the Texans on Sunday was their inability to run the ball effectively. Houston managed just 75 yards rushing against the Bears after leading the NFL with 213 yards in Week 1.
“They had a lot of penetration,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We weren’t able to have the lanes that we had the previous weeks. Something we have to clean up on the offensive side and make sure we just continue to get a head on the hat no matter what they show us.”
The running game was slowed because of an ankle injury to Joe Mixon, who had 159 yards rushing in the opener. He was injured early in the third quarter and returned near the end of the period, but had just two carries for 5 yards the rest of the game as he dealt with the injury. He finished with nine carries for 25 yards.
Ryans said that Mixon got “rolled up” and that it’s too early to know if he’ll play next week.
What’s working
The Texans were relentless in their pressure on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams Sunday night. Houston pressured Williams, the top overall pick in the draft, on 36 of his 37 pass attempts, according to NextGenStats.
Defensive ends Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter combined for 17 pressures and the Texans piled up seven sacks, which is tied for the second most in franchise history.
Houston had six different players with a sack Sunday night and the team’s nine sacks through two games ranks second in the NFL behind Minnesota’s 11 entering Monday.
What needs help
The Texans must get their running game back on track next week, which will be a tough task if Mixon can’t play. They could be without their top two running backs Sunday with Dameon Pierce dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of the game against Chicago.
Stock up
K Ka′imi Fairbairn has been great this season, with Ryans crediting him for Sunday night’s win. He was 4-for-4 against the Bears, making kicks of 59, 56, 53 and 47 yards. He also made three field goals of 50-plus yards in Week 1 to become the first kicker in NFL history to make five or more field goals of 50 yards or longer in a two-game span.
His 59-yard field goal on Sunday night was the second-longest in franchise history behind a 61-yard kick he made in 2021.
“He’s been consistent,” Ryans said. “He’s on it. He’s the reason why we’re standing here. We talk a lot about offense and defense (but) the kicking game is the reason why we won this game.”
Stock down
RB Cam Akers. Pushed into action because of injuries, Akers fumbled on the Chicago 4 with about 6½ minutes left Sunday. The Bears recovered the ball and it led to a field goal that got them within a score with less than three minutes left.
Injuries
Mixon and Pierce are the main injuries the team is dealing with this week.
Key number
252 — Entering Monday, wide receiver Nico Collins leads the NFL with 252 yards receiving, which is the second most in franchise history in the first two games of a season. Collins, who had a career-high 1,297 yards receiving last season, had 135 yards receiving and a touchdown Sunday night for the seventh 100-yard game of his career.
Next steps
Stroud and Houston’s offense will look to clean up their play and move the ball more effectively when they face an early test in a visit to the Minnesota Vikings, who are also 2-0, on Sunday.