Framber Valdez strikes out 10 in 7 innings, Joey Lopefido homers as Astros beat Marlins 9-1

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HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez struck out a season-high 10 and allowed one run in seven innings, and rookie Joey Loperfido homered and tripled to lead the Houston Astros to a 9-1 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

Valdez (8-5) allowed just six singles and earned his third straight win.

“The curveball was a big pitch for him today,” manager Joe Espada said. “He landed it early in the count and got some swings and misses for strikeouts. He was really good.”

Loperfido hit a two-run homer as the Astros jumped on Bryan Hoeing (0-2) for four runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. His first career triple came in the fourth inning.

The win was the eighth straight at home for the Astros, who have won eight of their last 11 games overall to improve to 48-44.

“The most important thing is to win and that’s what the team is doing,” Valdez said through a translator. “Just win, win, win, it doesn’t matter what anybody else is doing. As long as we continue winning, we know that we can reach our goal.”

Rookie Xavier Edwards had two hits and drove in Miami’s only run.

Hoeing, who has made 11 relief appearances this season, permitted eight hits and five runs — four earned — in three innings in his second start of the year.

“I thought his stuff overall was OK,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He just left some balls over the plate with runners in scoring position and a really good team capitalizes on that stuff.”

Jose Altuve hit a leadoff single before Yordan Alvarez walked with one out. Both players stole a base before Altuve scored on a single to right field by Yainer Diaz to make it 1-0. Alvarez attempted to score on the play, but was tagged out at the plate.

Jon Singleton singled to start Houston’s second and scored when Jake Meyers doubled to center field on a ball that was deflected by Jazz Chisholm Jr. as he crashed off the padded wall.

Meyers moved to third on a wild pitch by Hoeing before Loperfido’s one-out shot to right field made it 4-0. Alex Bregman hit an infield single with one out and Hoeing’s throwing error on the play left him at second.

Houston extended the lead to 5-0 when Bregman scored on a single to center field by Alvarez.

Loperfido tripled when his fly ball sailed just out of reach of Chisholm with no outs in the fourth. He scored when Bregman reached on a fielder’s choice that made it 6-0.

Edwards cut the lead to 6-1 on an RBI single with one out in the fifth.

An RBI double by Trey Cabbage pushed Houston’s advantage to 7-1 with one out in the sixth. Diaz smacked a single to center field to score two more after that and make it 9-1.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Alvarez was lifted for a pinch hitter in the fourth inning because of tightness in his right hip. Espada said they don’t think the problem is serious. “I just talked to him a little bit and hopefully it’s nothing that will linger for a long time,” he said.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Jake Bloss (0-0, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to come off the injured list to make his second major league start in the series finale Thursday night. Bloss injured his shoulder in his MLB debut June 21 and threw four scoreless innings in a rehabilitation outing with Triple-A Sugar Land Saturday. RHP Roddery Muñoz (1-3, 5.48) will start for Miami.

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