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Astros turn to Framber Valdez to snap losing streak and avoid sweep
Jul 31, 2024, 2:58 pm
The Astros have lost three straight games. Composite Getty Image.
Pittsburgh Pirates (55-52, second in the NL Central) vs. Houston Astros (55-52, second in the AL West)
Houston; Wednesday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Jake Woodford (0-2, 10.80 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, seven strikeouts); Astros: Framber Valdez (9-5, 3.43 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 98 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -213, Pirates +178; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros take on the Pittsburgh Pirates after Yainer Diaz had four hits against the Pirates on Tuesday.
Houston has a 55-52 record overall and a 30-24 record at home. The Astros have the eighth-ranked team ERA in the AL at 4.03.
Pittsburgh has a 29-26 record on the road and a 55-52 record overall. The Pirates have gone 35-7 in games when they scored five or more runs.
The teams meet Wednesday for the third time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jose Altuve has 21 doubles, 14 home runs and 47 RBI while hitting .309 for the Astros. Diaz is 15-for-39 with two doubles, a triple and three home runs over the last 10 games.
Bryan Reynolds has 20 doubles, three triples and 18 home runs while hitting .287 for the Pirates. Oneil Cruz is 9-for-39 with three doubles, a triple and three home runs over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 4-6, .266 batting average, 4.34 ERA, outscored by seven runs
Pirates: 6-4, .227 batting average, 2.73 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs
INJURIES: Astros: Kyle Tucker: 60-Day IL (shin), Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Pirates: Isiah Kiner-Falefa: 10-Day IL (knee), Daulton Jefferies: 60-Day IL (elbow), Carmen Mlodzinski: 15-Day IL (undisclosed), Joshua Palacios: day-to-day (hamstring), Ji-Hwan Bae: day-to-day (knee), Nick Gonzales: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), Jared Jones: 15-Day IL (lat), Ryan Borucki: 60-Day IL (tricep), Dauri Moreta: 60-Day IL (elbow), Endy Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow)
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Altuve’s milestone homer sparks Astros past Yankees
Aug 10, 2025, 4:24 pm
Trent Grisham hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning and the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros 5-4 on Saturday after blowing a two-run lead.
Grisham snapped a 4-all tie when he drove a full-count fastball off Bryan King (3-3) into the second deck in right field.
Grisham homered after Camilo Doval and David Bednar (5-3) combined to blow a 4-2 lead in the eighth, when the Yankees were charged with two errors. Doval was charged with a throwing error on a grounder by Jesús Sánchez and left fielder Jasson Domínguez committed another on an RBI single by Jose Altuve.
Bednar was one strike away from getting the second out but walked Christian Walker. He kept the game tied by striking out Yanier Diaz and Taylor Trammell.
Giancarlo Stanton drove in two runs, including an RBI single in the fifth that gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Stanton started in right in his first appearance in the field since playing left field at Fenway Park on Sept. 14, 2023. He caught a lineout by Carlos Correa to end the first for his first chance in right field since Sept. 9, 2023, and was lifted after seven innings.
Luis Gil allowed two runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, becoming the first Yankee starter to get an out in the sixth since July 30. Gil struck out seven and walked one after struggling with his command in his season debut on Sunday.
Stanton drew a bases-loaded walk in his first appearance against Framber Valdez before singling to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
Ben Rice lifted a sacrifice fly after Stanton walked and Cody Bellinger scored on the catcher’s double-play grounder in the fifth.
Jeremy Pena hit a leadoff homer and Correa hit a tying RBI single in the fourth as the Astros lost for the 17th time in 27 games.
Key moment
Bednar pitched a 1-2-3 ninth after the Yankees regained the lead.
Key stat
Grisham had three hits for the first time since July 6. He entered the game with five hits in his previous 36 at-bats.
Up next
New York LHP Max Fried (12-4, 2.78 ERA) pitches Sunday’s series finale. The Astros did not announce a starter