The Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels kick off the second half in a critical AL West showdown. The Astros closed the first half with six wins in their last ten games and have closed to within two games of the struggling first-place Rangers. The Angels return to action after losing nine of their last ten games of the first half and slipping to fourth place in the AL West Division. The pitching matchup on Friday night will feature a pair of aces as Astros' lefty Framber Valdez (7-6, 2.51) takes on Angels' two-way star Shohei Ohtani (7-4, 3.32). The first pitch is scheduled for 9:38 PM EST.
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The Houston Astros have started to make their move as they once again close in on the lead in the AL West Division, a division they have dominated for close to a decade. The Astros are now within two games of the Rangers after taking six of their final ten games to close out the first half. The Astros remain without All-Star Yordan Alvarez who leads the team in home runs and is now second in RBI. The team is hopeful his return soon into the second half which will further stabilize the team's lineup. The Astros are 5-2 against the Angels this season already and can push the Angels out of the picture with a big series against the struggling Halos.
Another day, another Maldy Mash. pic.twitter.com/RLYMrr3x0e
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 9, 2023
The Astros will send their ace Framber Valdez to the mound on Friday night against the Angels. The all-star lefty returned on Saturday from an ankle injury and went six innings in an eventual 3-2 Astros win. He allowed five hits and two runs while striking out six and walking two. On the season, Valdez is 7-6 in 17 starts including 13 quality starts. He has allowed 91 hits in just 111 innings pitched with an ERA of 2.51. Valdez has a K/9 rate of 9.4 and a WHIP of 1.05. On the road, Valdez is 4-2 in six starts including four quality starts. He has allowed 30 hits in 39 innings pitched with an ERA of 3.23. He has a K/9 rate of 9.7 on the road and a WHIP of 1.15.
Key Injuries: 2B Jose Altuve and OF/DH Yordan Alvarez are out.