Framber Valdez, Astros fluster White Sox

Framber Valdez recorded his fourth scoreless start of the season and Yainer Diaz snapped a deadlock with a leadoff home run in the sixth inning as the host Houston Astros claimed the rubber match of a three-game series with a 2-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Valdez (13-5) improved to 8-0 over his last 10 starts by limiting the White Sox to three hits and one walk while notching nine strikeouts over seven innings.

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.

--Field Level Media