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He retired 11 consecutive batters after
surrendering a leadoff single to Chicago shortstop Nicky Lopez
in the top of the first inning and benefitted from inning-ending
double plays in the fifth and seventh after allowing singles to
Lenyn Sosa and Andrew Benintendi, respectively.
Valdez struck out the side, all swinging, following the Lopez
single to left field. He breezed through five innings with only
54 pitches on his ledger after Dominic Fletcher tapped into a
4-3 double play that erased Sosa. Valdez capped his outing by
inducing a 4-6-3 double play from White Sox catcher Korey Lee
after Benintendi dumped a leadoff single into right field.
Valdez tossed 82 pitches, including 57 for strikes. He did not
permit a baserunner to reach scoring position.
Diaz gained a measure of revenge against White Sox rookie
left-hander Ky Bush (0-2) with his solo blast in the bottom of
the sixth. Bush surrendered back-to-back singles to Jose Altuve
and Jeremy Pena leading off the first inning before Diaz
followed with an opposite-field blast to right that Fletcher
snagged with a dazzling catch over the wall, sparing Bush a
three-run home run.
Bush followed by induing Jake Meyers to roll into an
inning-ending double play and worked out of a bases-loaded mess
in the third before stranding Mauricio Dubon in the fourth after
Dubon walked with two outs.
But Diaz socked a 389-foot blast to left-center for his 13th
home run and a 1-0 lead. Bush allowed one run on four hits and
three walks with five strikeouts over six innings.
Altuve provided the Astros an insurance run with his 16th home
run leading off the eighth against White Sox reliever John
Brebbia.
Astros closer Josh Hader recorded his 27th save with a perfect,
11-pitch ninth inning that featured strikeouts of Lopez and Luis
Robert Jr.
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