Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez (59) pitches against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Daikin Park. Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Houston Astros Ace Framber Valdez Makes Franchise History With Consecutive Gems

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 9:57 AM ET

When Framber Valdez took the mound against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night, he immediately dealt three strikes and punched out the first batter he faced.

The Houston Astros' ace hardly slowed down from there.

Valdez added two more strikeouts that inning, followed by two in the second and three in the third. And while he gave up an RBI single to Edgar Quero in that third frame, the Astros answered with a three-spot in the bottom of the inning.

By the time his day was done, Valdez had allowed seven hits, one walk and two earned runs in 5.0 innings, racking up 12 strikeouts along the way. It was a continuation of his performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 5, when the southpaw struck out 11 batters in 7.0 innings.

Valdez hasn't been quite as efficient as he was with his 83-pitch complete game against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 30, but his 99 pitches against the Pirates and 95 against the White Sox still showed his refusal to get chased off early.

According to Underdog Fantasy's Justin Havens, Valdez is the second Astros player ever to post back-to-back starts with 11-plus strikeouts on fewer than 100 pitches. Justin Verlander pioneered the club in July 2018.

Framber Valdez is only the 2nd pitcher in Astros franchise history to have back-to-back starts within the same season of 11+ K on fewer than 100 pitches (Justin Verlander in July of 2018).
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) June 13, 2025

Houston went on to win 4-3 on Thursday, improving to 7-0 across Valdez's last seven starts. The 31-year-old All-Star is now 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.089 WHIP, 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.3 WAR through 14 appearances in 2025.

Since becoming a full-time starter in 2020, Valdez is 67-37 with a 3.12 ERA, 1.144 WHIP, 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 17.0 WAR. He ranks sixth in innings pitched and eighth in ERA among qualified players during that span.

The Astros will continue their homestand this weekend, hosting the Minnesota Twins at Daikin Park. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET on Friday.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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