"Exactly what we needed” — Joe Espada praises Framber Valdez's dominant 7-inning shutout performance

Framber Valdez is back to form for the Houston Astros, and he's keen on getting better. The Astros are coming off a strong shutout victory against the Oakland Athletics and are just one game away from recording a four-game sweep.

One of the primary reasons for their success was Valdez's top performance on the mound. The Astros' offense smashed seven runs to support their starting pitcher. Reacting to his performance, manager Joe Espada said that it was a much-needed victory.

Espada praised Valdez for his strong performance and going deep to pitch for seven innings. He further stated that Vladez was aware of the bullpen condition going into the game.

"Exactly what we needed. That was a very strong performance. We needed Framber to take us deep into the game, & he did that.. He knew the condition of our bullpen going into this game, he did a good job," Espada said.

Framber Valdez's dominant outing allowed the Astros to use just one reliever

Framber Valdez took control of the game when he got on the mound. The southpaw was excellent with his pitching skills, as he restricted the A's with just two hits. Valdez struck out eight in his seven innings. He also recorded 11 groundouts and one flyout to help the Astros win.

Seth Martinez took over after Valdez threw 97 pitches. Martinez was strong on the mound as he continued with the pace. Valdez allowed the team to use just one reliever. The Astros have experienced a crunch with the bullpen since four relievers have pitched against the A's in this series.

Tayler Scott, Ryan Pressly, Rafael Montero, and Bryan Abreu threw in the first two games. It was a crucial game for the team, but they cruised over with an easy victory to win the series.

Framber Valdez has a 3-1 record with a 2.95 ERA. In 36-plus innings, he recorded 31 strikeouts. Valdez holds a solid WHIP of 1.20.

Offensively, the team had a decent performance, as Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker scored in the first inning. Alex Bregman's sacrifice fly extended the lead, while Jeremy Pena scored the final run. The Astros are picking up the pace, and they look forward to building on their three-game winning streak against the Athletics.