ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Framber Valdez followed up his no-hit bid with 5 2/3 strong innings, and the AL West-leading Houston Astros won their six straight game by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Monday night.
Alex Bregman and Yainer Diaz homered for the Astros, who lead the division by one-half game over idle Seattle.
Valdez (12-5) improved to 7-0 in his last nine starts after allowing three hits, one walk and striking out nine. The lefty was pulled after walking Yandy Díaz on his 101st pitch.
Valdez came within one out of his second career no-hitter in his previous start at Texas on Aug. 6 when Corey Seager homered with two outs in the ninth. The Rays got their first hit with one out in the first on a single by Dylan Carlson.
Tayler Scott and Kaleb Ort completed a four-hitter.
Bregman hit a first-inning solo shot, and Yainer Diaz had a three-run drive during a four-run third against Taj Bradley (6-7) as the Astros took a 5-0 lead. Yordan Alvarez picked up his ninth RBI over the last seven games with a run-scoring single in the third.
Bradley gave up six runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings in losing his third consecutive start. The right-hander had gone 5-0 in eight starts prior to the current skid.
Tampa Bay’s Taylor Walls tripled in the third when right fielder Pedro León overran his fly ball down the line and scored on José Caballero’s sacrifice fly.
Walls, who entered hitting, .153, also doubled off Valdez in the fifth.
The Rays have lost five of seven to drop back to .500 at 59-59.
Houston’s Jose Altuve had two hits and moved past Jeff Bagwell into second place in franchise history with 623 multi-hit games. Only Craig Biggio, with 841, has more.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (neck) will make his second minor league rehab start this week and could rejoin the rotation after that.
UP NEXT
Astros LHP Yusei Kikuchi (5-9, 4.62 ERA) and Rays RHP Shane Baz (0-1. 4.30 ERA) are Tuesday night’s starters. Kikuchi is 1-0 with 19 strikeouts over 11 innings in two starts with Houston since being acquired from Toronto.
