Framber Valdez leads Astros to 10th win in 11 games

Starting pitcher Framber Valdez throws a pitch during the Astros' 2-0 victory over the White Sox on Sunday in Chicago. Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

HOUSTON – Framber Valdez threw seven strong innings for his eighth consecutive win and Yainer Diaz and Jose Altuve hit home runs to help the Houston Astros to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

It was Houston's tenth win in eleven games, and the AL West leader matched its season-high of 11 games over .500 with a 67-56 win.

Bryan Abreu pitched two strikeouts in the eighth inning and Josh Hader pitched two strikeouts in the ninth inning to complete the three-hitter. Hader has converted his last 27 save opportunities, setting a franchise record.

DODGERS 2, CARDINALS 1: Shohei Ohtani hit his 39th home run to lead the National League, while Clayton Kershaw threw six scoreless innings to lead Los Angeles to a victory over the Cardinals in St. Louis.

Miguel Rojas and Gavin Lux each scored three goals and the NL West leaders won for the seventh time in ten games.

MARLINS 3, METS 2: Derek Hill delivered a decisive single with two outs in the eighth inning that helped Miami win in New York.

Nick Fortes hit a sacrifice fly and Hill scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the field for the Marlins, who avoided a three-game sweep. Miami became the first team to win a game in which three runners were caught since the New York Yankees beat Toronto 4-2 in June 1991.

NATIONALS 6, PHILLIES 4: Keibert Ruiz hit his third home run in four games, Alex Call and James Wood also hit home runs, and Washington ended a four-game losing streak and avoided a series sweep with a win over the NL-leading Phillies in Philadelphia.

Jacob Young's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning tied the game at 4-4 and the Nationals ended the Phillies' four-game winning streak.

MARINERS 10, PIRATES 3: George Kirby pitched six solid innings and Seattle ended a five-game losing streak with a win over the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Kirby (9-9) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two runs and four hits while allowing five strikeouts and two walks. The 26-year-old right-hander rebounded after allowing 11 runs and 12 hits in 3 2/3 innings in his last outing, a 15-1 loss at Detroit on Aug. 13.

BREWERS 2, GUARDIANS 0: Colin Rea and two relievers combined for two hits and a shutout as Milwaukee defeated visitors Cleveland for its fifth consecutive win.

The Brewers (72-52), top of the NL Central, improved their record to 20 games over .500 (a season-high) after going 7-3 in a 10-game home series that included a four-game tie with the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and a three-game sweep of the Guardians, top of the AL Central.

NOTES

DODGERS: First baseman Freddie Freeman was unable to start Sunday's game in St. Louis due to a jammed middle finger on his right hand.

The 34-year-old Freeman was injured on Saturday in the 5-2 loss to the Cardinals. X-rays were negative, and the first baseman's condition is being assessed on a day-to-day basis.

Freeman has a batting average of .292 with 17 home runs and 72 RBI.

Copy the story link