Astros’ Framber Valdez throws latest no-hitter this season

A historic moment unfolded at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night, as Houston Astros' standout pitcher Framber Valdez achieved a no-hitter against the Cleveland Guardians, resulting in a 2-0 victory by the Astros. This extraordinary accomplishment came just hours after the reigning World Series champions finalized a trade to bring Justin Verlander back to the team from the New York Mets. Notably, Valdez's achievement marks a significant milestone as he becomes the first left-handed pitcher in Astros history to accomplish a no-hitter.

Framber Valdez's path to a perfect game was nearly unhindered until a leadoff walk to Oscar Gonzalez in the fifth inning emerged as the sole obstacle. However, this potential setback was swiftly nullified as Gonzalez was eliminated in a subsequent double play within the same inning. Valdez's mastery was on full display as he confronted the minimum 27 batters throughout the no-hit performance, remarkably achieving this feat with just 93 pitches. Notably, this pitch count stands as the lowest in a no-hitter since David Cone's perfect game in 1999, during which he needed a mere 88 pitches.

Unlike many no-hitters that rely on standout defensive plays, Valdez's achievement was marked by his consistent control and dominance throughout the game. Statistical analysis from Statcast revealed that the Cleveland Guardians failed to generate a single ball in play with a likelihood exceeding 50% of resulting in a hit, as determined by exit velocity and launch angle. Even a mere five balls in play held a probability as low as 30% for a hit. This further underscores Valdez's exceptional performance, where he maintained a state of cruise control throughout the entire night.

The recent no-hitter marked a significant milestone for the Houston Astros, becoming the 16th in the team's history. Notably, it was the first single-pitcher no-hitter since Justin Verlander's no-hit performance against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 1, 2019. Notable instances from the previous year include two combined no-hitters: one against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 25 and another during World Series Game 4 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

An interesting subplot involves Astros' catcher Martin Maldonado, who has now been a part of three no-hitters – an achievement that places him tied for the third-most occurrences in MLB history. Maldonado was the catcher during Houston's no-hitter at Yankee Stadium and the combined no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners on August 3, 2019. Only Carlos Ruiz and Jason Varitek have been part of more no-hitters, with each of them catching four.

The Cleveland franchise experienced its 15th instance of being no-hit in a nine-inning game, with this being the first occurrence since the team rebranded as the Guardians. The last time they were no-hit was by the Milwaukee Brewers on September 11, 2021. During that game, Corbin Burnes managed the first eight innings, while Josh Hader closed out the ninth inning.

In the current baseball season, Valdez's no-hitter becomes the third, joining the ranks of Yankees' right-hander Domingo Germán's perfect game against the Oakland Athletics on June 28 and a combined effort by three Detroit Tigers pitchers who no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays on July 8.