Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez, coming off his best start of the season, will look for another positive result when he opposes Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller in the rubber match of a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
Each team has shut out the other in the first two games of the series, with Houston winning 3-0 on Tuesday and Pittsburgh prevailing by the same score on Wednesday.
Valdez (5-4, 3.12 ERA) threw a complete game on Friday, striking out nine and allowing only one run on three hits and a walk in a 2-1 home win against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Keller (1-7, 3.73 ERA) is still looking for his first victory since March 28 but has continued to deliver strong starts, as he did on Friday against the host San Diego Padres. Keller allowed three runs on three hits over six innings, walked two and struck out one in a game Pittsburgh ultimately lost 3-2.
Valdez and Keller could be in their last year with their teams. Valdez is in the final season of his contract. Keller has been the subject of trade speculation, with some wondering if Houston would be a possible suitor considering the Astros have lost several starters to injuries this season.
Valdez’s recent performance was huge for the Astros, who sit atop the American League West.
His 83-pitch complete game matched Darryl Kile for the fewest thrown in a complete game in club history. Kile’s outing was a no-hitter.
“I think it’s one of the best outings of my career so far,” Valdez said through an interpreter after the win.
Valdez had a stellar month overall in May, making six starts and going 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA and five quality starts. In 42 innings, he recorded 42 strikeouts and 11 walks.
Valdez has seemingly increased his stock whether it’s in terms of trade value or being a valuable piece of the Astros’ rotation for the stretch run this season, especially while the club hopes other starters can return from injury.
His history against the Pirates isn’t great, though: 2-1 with a 6.75 ERA in three career starts.
Keller, who threw six innings of two-run ball in 2023 during his lone career start against Houston, could be a trade target for a contending club, especially since Pittsburgh outwardly is stating that ace Paul Skenes is not on the block. A veteran of seven major league seasons, all with the Pirates, Keller is in the second year of a five-year, $77 million contract.
Just like nearly every starter in the Pirates’ rotation, Keller has not received much in terms of run support, which has overshadowed generally strong starts.
The Pirates have scored a total of six runs in Keller’s past five starts, with four of those outings ending in Pittsburgh losses. He allowed only one home run and posted a 2.90 ERA over those past five appearances.
“He would love to get the win, sure,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said after Keller’s most recent start. “But he’s going out there to put us in the best position to be successful.
“Against that (San Diego) lineup here, he pitched really, really well. Again, he probably deserved the ‘W.’ It’s been something that he’s been fighting, but he did another great job tonight.”
–Field Level Media
