Framber Valdez' last start weighs heavy on Astros fans as news drops lefty will start ALCS Game 6: "He needs to be on a quick leash"
Astros manager Dusty Baker has announced that Framber Valdez will start Game 6 of the ALCS. However, after the lefty was chased in the first inning in his last start, Astros fans are hoping for a much better performance.
Framber Valdez is one of the best pitchers that the Houston Astros have. This season, the Dominican flamethrower posted a 3.45 ERA across 31 starts, two of which were complete game shutouts, more than any other starter in MLB.
However, after getting the ball in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Texas Rangers, Valdez looked like a fish out of water. The southpaw lasted just 2.2 innings, and was yanked after surrendering five runs, four of them earned.
"Framber Valdez will start Game 6, Dusty Baker said" - Brian McTaggart
After dropping the first two games of the ALCS at home to the Texas Rangers, the Astros heated up. They were able to steal a pair of games at Globe Life Field in Arlington to even the series. Still, Valdez' last start is very fresh in the minds of Astros fans.
Despite posting some strong postseason starts in the past, Framber Valdez owns an ERA of 11.94 in the 2023 playoffs. Before his nightmarish start against the Rangers, Valdez gave up five runs in 4.1 innings in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Minnesota Twins.
At very least, Astros fans can take solace in the fact that Valdez will be making his Game 6 start at Minute Maid Park in Houston. His last two starts notwithstanding, Valdez has pitched incredibly well at home this season. In Houston, the 29-year old owns a 2.65 ERA, compared to 3.88 figure pitching on the road during the 2023 regular season.
Framber Valdez will need to return to vintage form for the Astros to contend again
Now competing in their seventh straight ALCS, the Houston Astros have shown a resilience befitting of the league's elite teams. While the 2023 postseason has not at all gone Valdez' way, he is still one of the best arms in baseball. If the Astros have any intent on returning to the World Series for the fifth time since 2017, Framber Valdez is one of the arms they will need.
The Astros have an incredible and fully capable offense, but without support from their start-studded rotation, it appears as though there might be a new sheriff in the Lone Star State.