Framber Valdez strikes out 10 over 6 1/3 innings and Astros beat Dodgers, 5-0

HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings, Alex Bregman and Jon Singleton hit home runs and the Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 on Friday night.

Bregman hit a solo home run to left in the third inning and Singleton hit a 403-foot two-run homer into the second deck in right in the fourth.

Joey Loperfido had an RBI single in the second and made an outstanding leaping grab to rob Shohei Ohtani of extra bases in the third. Mauricio Dubón added an RBI double in the eighth.

“We like some homers if you ask me,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “I like to have some slug, but that’s what we are right now. We just got to find ways to score runs.”

Valdez (9-5) scattered four hits to win his fourth straight decision.

“He was really, really, really good,” Espada said. “Sinker early in the zone, up to 97 (mph), saw it 98 (mph), and the breaking ball down under. Efficient early. He was locked in. He was really good.”

He has allowed three runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts.

“Obviously, it means a lot for me and the team to leave the team in that winning position and giving the team a chance to win,” Valdez said in Spanish through an interpreter.

Ohtani was 2 for 3 with a walk as the Dodgers were shut out for the fifth time this season.

After Ohtani singled to lead off the game, Valdez retired 16 straight, including the last six by strikeout, before Gavin Lux singled with one out in the sixth. Valdez walked the bases loaded, but he struck out Teoscar Hernández and induced Andy Pages to flyout to end the threat.

The Dodgers had runners on the corners with one out in the seventh, but Bryan Abreu struck out Nick Ahmed, and Bregman tagged out Kiké Hernández, who overran second on Lux’s infield single.

“Framber was good tonight, so you knew it was going to be a tall order to try to put together innings and build innings,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We stressed him that one inning, but he made pitches when he needed to.”

Gavin Stone (9-4) yielded four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in six innings. Stone surrendered four runs for the third time in his last four starts.

“I felt good, just left two pitches over the plate, and they put good swings on it,” Stone said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Luis Garcia (right elbow surgery) threw a 35-pitch bullpen Friday, Espada said. … RHP Justin Verlander (neck discomfort) is scheduled to throw a bullpen Saturday, Espada said. … OF Kyle Tucker (right shin contusion) continued to do outfield drills Friday, and “he’s improving but not at the pace we want him to,” Espada said.

DODGERS TRADE

Los Angeles traded LHP James Paxton to the Red Sox in exchange for minor league INF Moises Bolivar.

UP NEXT

Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (1-0, 4.40 ERA) will start Saturday opposite Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (9-5, 2.75 ERA).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb