DETROIT (AP) — Framber Valdez pitched his first career shutout and the Houston Astros beat the Detroit Tigers 7-0 on Monday night.
Valdez (15-5) posted his 24th straight quality start, tying Mets ace Jacob deGrom (2018) for the longest single-season streak. The All-Star left-hander gave up six hits and struck out eight with one walk.
The Tigers were shut out for the second day in a row and club-record 21st time this season, tying them with the 1973 New York Yankees and 1976 Chicago White Sox for most by a team with a designated hitter.
Jeremy Pena had three hits for the Astros and scored twice.
Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez (3-5) allowed five runs on 10 hits and a walk in five innings.
Jose Altuve started the game with a single, stole second and scored on Pena’s single. Pena also stole second and Alex Bregman’s RBI single made it 2-0.
Detroit had runners thrown out at the plate in the first and third innings, allowing Houston to keep adding to its lead.
In the third, the Astros managed to add a run on an inning-ending double play. With the bases loaded, Kyle Tucker hit a grounder to shortstop Javy Baez, who was shifted to the right side. Bregman froze between first and second, preventing Baez from tagging him. Detroit turned the 6-3-4 double play, but Pena scored from third before the Tigers could retire Bregman.
Tucker made it 4-0 with an RBI groundout in the fifth and Yuli Gurriel followed with a run-scoring double.
Tucker added a two-run single in the ninth.
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The teams play the second of three games Tuesday evening, with Detroit’s Drew Hutchison (2-7) facing Hunter Brown (1-0, 0.00).
Brown, who will be making his second major league start, grew up in suburban Detroit and played at Wayne State University, a mile from Comerica Park. The Tigers are offering discounted tickets for Wayne State students for the entire series.
