Bullpen locks down first road series win
Taylor gets out of two jams after Valdez works long day
As another of their preCOVID-19 era stalwarts went on the injured list Sunday, a couple of emerging standouts enabled the Astros to close out a decidedly up-and-down trip to Angel Stadium with their first extra-inning win of the young season.
Framber Valdez kept the Astros in the game with 61⁄3 innings of lockdown relief, rookie lefthander Blake
Taylor survived bases-loaded jams in the 10th and 11th innings, and Houston secured a 6-5 victory in 11 innings to take two of three from the Angels in the year’s first road series.
Sunday’s game was the Astros’ third under the interim Major League Baseball rule in which extra innings begin with a runner on second. They lost 4-2 in 13 innings to the Dodgers on Wednesday and 5-4 to the Angels in 10 innings Satur
day night.
In Houston’s third crack at extra frames, the Astros and Angels traded runs in the 10th inning, and the Astros won it in the 11th on Alex Bregman’s base hit to score George Springer, who began the 11th at second.
“We have a young bullpen, but those guys are not backing down,” Bregman said. “They believe in themselves, and they compete. I’ve been impressed with their confidence and their attack mentality.”
Closer Roberto Osuna became the latest addition to the injured list Sunday, and the Astros will lean on the likes of Valdez, Taylor and Andre Scrubb, who recorded one out in the 10th.
“With each positive outing, they feel they belong in the big leagues,” manager Dusty Baker said. “I can see with each outing these guys are standing more and more tall. In their minds and ours, they are growing up before our eyes.”
Valdez alternated between starting and bullpen slots in his first two years with the Astros, and Baker hoped to keep him in reserve Sunday for a potential start in the upcoming series at Arizona.
But the lefthander was needed in relief after starter Josh James issued six walks in three innings, three of them ahead of Albert Pujols’ 15th career grand slam in the third inning, Pujols’ 60th career home run against the Astros. James threw just 33 strikes in 72 pitches.
With the Astros trailing 4-2 after the Pujols slam, Valdez
kept them in the game with a 72-pitch outing that yielded five hits, eight strikeouts and a walk with the unearned run in the 10th.
It was the longest relief performance for an Astros pitcher since a seven-inning stint by Shane Reynolds in 1994 against Pittsburgh, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
“I prepared myself for this,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “I was preparing for a start, and they gave me two days’ notice that I could be relieving today. That allowed me to change my mindset and be prepared.
“We have a lot of relievers who are injured, so I came into this game with my mind focused on throwing as many innings as it took.”
After starting 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, the Astros rallied in the ninth for the second straight game to force extra innings.
Michael Brantley doubled to lead off the ninth against Angels reliever Ty Buttrey and was lifted for pinch runner Myles Straw. Yuli Gurriel flied out to center, but Josh Reddick followed with a base hit to tie it up.
The teams traded runs in the 10th on a sacrifice fly by Astros catcher Garrett Stubbs and an RBI single by the Angels’ Michael Hermosillo. After tying it in the 10th against Valdez, the Angels loaded the bases against Scrubb, but Taylor struck out Matt Thaiss to send the game to the 11th.
After Houston scored in the 11th, Taylor (1-1) recorded two outs before the Angels loaded the bases with an intentional walk and a walk. He retired Brian Goodwin on a fly ball to center.
“It’s hard not to have confidence with this team when you have four Gold Gloves in the infield (technically, the Astros have one in Jose Altuve) and such a fast outfield,” Taylor said. “If they put it in play, the chances of it falling is very limited, so I go out there with confidence.”
Both teams endured less than ideal performances by their starters, James and Angels righthander Shohei Ohtani. Through three innings, the combined pitching staffs had allowed six runs on just two hits with 12 walks.
After games that lasted 4:21, 3:58 and 4:37, Baker said the Astros will appreciate the off day, their second of six during the abbreviated season, on Monday.