Framber Valdez strikes out 11, Astros hammer Pirates

Framber Valdez struck out a season-high 11 over seven innings and Isaac Paredes hit two home runs to lead the Houston Astros to an 8-2 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates in a game that began late Thursday night after a 3-hour, 22-minute weather delay.
The 11 strikeouts were the most Valdez’s recorded in a game since he struck out 13 on July 15, 2023, against the Los Angeles Angels.
Valdez (6-4) threw 99 pitches, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks to help the Astros win for the third time in their past four games and win two of the three games in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates have lost three of their past four games.
Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller (1-8) couldn’t keep up with Valdez and endured one of his worst starts of the season. Keller allowed six runs on eight hits and one walk over 6 1/3 innings, while striking out five. That marked the most runs Keller has allowed since surrendering seven against the New York Yankees on April 4.
Jacob Melton had two hits, including a key two-run single that which highlighted a four-run fourth inning for the Astros. Jeremy Pena had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and an RBI.
Jared Triolo, who led Pittsburgh with two hits, doubled to lead off the bottom of the third and then came around to score on consecutive ground outs by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oneil Cruz to put the Pirates ahead 1-0.
Houston tied the game in the top of the fourth when Paredes hit his first of his two home runs — a solo blast over the left field fence. With two outs and two runners on, Cam Smith gave the Astros the lead on an RBI single that scored Christian Walker.
Melton followed with a sharp single to left that scored Jake Meyers and Walker.
Cruz drove in another run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single to score Triolo and cut the deficit to 4-2. But Valdez struck out Andrew McCutchen — one of four strikeouts by McCutchen. The Pirates struck out 16 times overall.
Paredes, who hit three home runs overall in the series against the Pirates, hit his second homer of the game and 14th of the season — a two-run blast to left — in the top of the ninth.