Corey Seager’s two-run home run in the ninth inning Tuesday ended a no-hit attempt by Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez.
Seager, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player, slugged Valdez’s 107th pitch over the right field wall at Globe Life Field, giving Texas its first runs — and first hit — of the game.
Tim Warner/Getty Images
The home run, which followed a Josh Smith walk, pulled Texas within 4-2.
Valdez had been bidding to throw the Astros’ second complete game no-hitter of 2024, and the fourth in MLB this season. Teammate Ronel Blanco’s no-hitter in April was the first.
San Diego Padres right-hander Dylan Cease and San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell also threw complete game no-hitters this season.
Astros closer Josh Hader relieved Valdez after Seager’s home run, and recorded the final out of Houston’s victory two batters later.
Valdez was bidding for his second career no-hitter. He no-hit the Cleveland Guardians in Aug. 2023, needing only 93 pitches to complete the task.
For most of the game Tuesday, he was looking up to the task again. Valdez did not walk a batter until the seventh inning; the only Ranger to reach base before that did so on an error. Valdez had thrown only 60 pitches through the first six innings, and 75 through the first seven.
After a 1-2-3 eighth inning, it was obvious Valdez had the stamina to pitch the ninth. The only question was whether the Rangers had a hit in their bats down 4-0.
Robbie Grossman’s leadoff walk was quickly erased when Ezequiel Duran grounded into a double play, leaving Valdez one out away from the no-hitter.
But Smith drew a six-pitch walk of his own, laying off a changeup in the dirt with two strikes to earn the free base.
That brought up Seager, one of the game’s best sluggers — and its most aggressive. True to form, he clobbered a hanging slider from Valdez on the first pitch he saw for his 24th home run of the season.
The Rangers trailed, 4-2.
Valdez looked around, frustrated, cognizant of the significance of the moment. His night was over.
Hader walked the next batter, Marcus Semien, but got Josh Jung to fly out to end the game. Valdez had to settle for 8.2 innings of one-hit ball and his 11th win of the season.
Valdez last year became the first left-handed pitcher in Astros history to throw a complete game no-hitter. He quite nearly became the second, as well.
