While hardly using his signature curveball, Astros lefthander Framber Valdez put the...
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve autographs a glove for a fan before a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in New York. NEW YORK — Any conversation about Framber Valdez always centers around his curveball. It is one of the sport’s most devastating pitches, one of the sole reasons former Houston pitching coach Brent Strom maintained so much faith in Valdez when statistics suggested he did not deserve it.
Tuesday demonstrated the next level of Valdez’s growth as a more well-rounded pitcher. He handcuffed one of baseball’s most productive lineups for eight scoreless innings and barely threw his curveball. Tuesday’s outing at Citi Field lowered Valdez’s ERA to 2.65 and furthered his case to make the American League All-Star team next month. Only seven American League starters have a lower ERA. Valdez has thrown more innings than all of them.