WEST SACRAMENTO — With the season on the line, Astros left-hander Framber Valdez delivered in the clutch Thursday afternoon, with some help from an offense that finally started showing signs of urgency.
Valdez, who had won one game in his previous 10 starts, struck out 10 batters in seven one-run innings, and the Astros scored more than they had in their previous five games to blast the A’s, 11-5, at Sutter Health Park. That snapped Houston’s five-game losing streak and kept its playoff hopes alive entering the final weekend of the season.
The Astros (85-74) moved to within one-half game of the Tigers for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Detroit, which is playing Cleveland on Thursday evening, has the tiebreaker over the Astros, who finish the regular season with three games vs. the Angels this weekend.
After not leading at any point in their previous five games, the Astros took advantage of a hit by pitch and a walk by A’s starter J.T. Ginn to score twice in the first inning. They added three more runs in the second and two more in the fourth and fifth without the benefit of a home run to take a 9-0 lead.
Jose Altuve, who’s playing with a sore right foot, and Isaac Paredes, who’s playing with a right hamstring that’s far from 100 percent, each had two hits at the top of the batting order. Christian Walker’s 24th homer in the eighth inning was Houston’s only long ball of the series.
Valdez allowed a leadoff single before striking out the next five batters to set the tone for his outing. He didn’t give up a run until Nick Kurtz belted an opposite-field homer on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the sixth inning. Valdez’s 10 strikeouts are his most since whiffing 12 on July 28.