Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings for his first victory since the March 27 season opener and Jeremy Peña hit a three-run homer off Elvin Rodriguez as the Houston Astros defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 on Wednesday.
The win secured a victory for the Astros on the road after losing the previous two games in the series, snapping Milwaukee's three-game winning streak and leaving both clubs at .500 records. Houston won for just the second time in seven games.
Valdez (2-4) limited the Brewers to one run on three hits, striking out seven and walking two batters. He threw a season-high 101 pitches. On his final pitch, Valdez fielded a slow roller near the third base line and threw to first for an out that was confirmed upon review.
Milwaukee's only run against Valdez came on Eric Haase's solo home run in the fifth inning.
The Astros took an early lead against Brewers starter Quinn Priester (1-1) in the second inning. Jake Meyers singled with two outs and scored on Zach Dezenzo's double to left field for a 1-0 advantage.
Houston extended its lead in the fifth. After Dezenzo walked and Brendan Rodgers reached on an error, Chas McCormick's bunt moved runners to second and third. Peña hit a ground ball to third base, and the throw home was initially ruled an out, but replay showed Dezenzo slid under the tag, giving Houston a 2-0 lead. A passed ball later in the inning allowed another run to score for a 3-0 lead.
Elvin Rodriguez replaced Priester in the sixth inning. He walked Meyers and Dezenzo to start the inning before retiring two batters. With two outs, Peña connected on a first-pitch fastball for a three-run homer to left field, pushing the Astros' lead to 6-1.
The Astros added three runs in the ninth inning, also against Elvin Rodriguez. Peña led off with a double, followed by Jose Altuve's single and Isaac Paredes' RBI single. Yainer Diaz later doubled in Altuve and Paredes to make the score 9-1.
Josh Hader, pitching in Milwaukee for the first time since the Brewers traded him in 2022, worked the ninth inning for Houston, allowing a walk and a double.
Valdez has completed at least seven innings 57 times since the start of the 2020 season, ranking him first among all MLB pitchers. The Brewers have lost all 13 games this season when their opponent scores first.
The Astros host the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. Hunter Brown is scheduled to pitch for Houston against Nick Martinez for Cincinnati. The Brewers visit the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday with José Quintana expected to start.
