Houston Astros Ace Calls Himself 'Trash'
It was a struggle for the Houston Astros over the weekend as they got swept at home by their bitter AL West rivals, the Seattle Mariners who move a half game back from them in the standings.
While the focus for the Astros was catching the Texas Rangers at the top of the division, they now have to keep their eye on the rear view mirror as the Mariners have gotten red hot the second half of the season.
Perhaps the biggest shock of the entire weekend was when Houston's ace Framber Valdez was shelled for six earned runs on 10 hits in their 10-3 loss on Saturday.
The performance was an exclamation point on the second half issues Valdez has had since the All-Star break that has seen him allow five or more earned runs in four out of seven starts.
"Trash. I thought it was a bad outing for me. I thought it was bad. I made it to the fifth inning, but I thought it was a bad outing for me," Valdez said after his recent outing against Seattle.
His no-hitter against the Cleveland Guardians on August 1 seems like a distant memory in the midst of his struggles.
The left hander told Chandler Rome of The Athletic, "After the no-hitter, I’ve been trying to pitch the exact same way I did that game. I’ve been trying to execute my pitches and haven’t been doing that. Unfortunately, it’s part of the game. Sometimes bad things happen."
In his last nine starts, Valdez has an ERA of 5.82. That is not good enough for a team looking to make another deep playoff run.
Houston was aggressive at the trade deadline, acquiring Justin Verlander to bolster the top end of their rotation. They need Valdez to perform at a high level or they have no chance of repeating as World Series champions.