Astros finish homestand with another shutout, blanking Cubs

Framber Valdez produced his fourth scoreless start of the season and Jose Altuve homered with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning as the host Houston Astros claimed the rubber match of a three-game interleague series with the Chicago Cubs 2-0 on Sunday.

The Astros improved to 9-0-2 over their last 11 series and 25-10 overall dating back to May 22. Houston is 19-5 over its last 24 home games and has won or split 13 consecutive home series. The Astros recorded three shutouts on their six-game homestand and finished 5-1; Astros starting pitchers allowed one earned run in those five wins.

Valdez (9-4) recorded his second consecutive scoreless start and eighth straight winning decision. He pitched into the seventh inning, allowing five hits and two walks with six strikeouts. His strikeout of Carson Kelly in the fourth moved him into 10th place in club history with 974.

Valdez surrendered a one-out double to Kyle Tucker in the top of the first inning but rallied to retire six consecutive batters. Jon Berti singled with one out in the third and subsequently stole second base, but Valdez closed that inning by inducing a pair of groundouts.

He walked Dansby Swanson in the fourth and sixth innings but responded by getting Pete Crow-Armstrong to roll a grounder to first baseman Christian Walker both times.

The final six outs Valdez recorded were groundball outs. Valdez surrendered back-to-back hits to Kelly and Nico Hoerner to open the seventh, but Astros reliever Bryan Abreu entered and retired all six batters he faced with four strikeouts on his ledger. Abreu needed only 11 pitches to complete the seventh inning and strand both runners he inherited.

Astros closer Josh Hader breezed through a perfect ninth inning to complete the combined five-hit shutout and notch his 23rd save.

Altuve provided Valdez with run support by clubbing his 13th home run off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon (7-6). Altuve struck out in his first two plate appearances against Taillon before driving a 1-0 cutter 347 feet to left field. It scored Luis Guillorme, who singled to open the fifth.

Taillon departed after the Altuve dinger. He tossed a season-high 107 pitches over 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

--Field Level Media