Yordan Alvarez slugged two three-run home runs while Framber Valdez tossed seven shutout innings as the Houston Astros claimed the opener of a three-game interleague series with the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 on Friday.
Alvarez produced his second multi-homer effort in as many home games. Before accomplishing the feat against the Kanas City Royals on Sunday, his previous 12 homers all came on the road. He finished 2-for-4 with six RBIs on Friday while raising his season home run total to 32.
It was Alvarez’s seventh multi-homer game this season, matching the franchise mark set by Chris Carter in 2014, when he clubbed 37 home runs. Alvarez has 22 career multi-homer games.
Hector Neris and Nick Hernandez each threw one inning to complete the Astros’ combined two-hitter.
The Astros (76-65) took a 1-0 lead against Brandon Pfaadt (9-8) in the second inning on an RBI single from Mauricio Dubon.
In the fifth, Alvarez followed back-to-back singles from Dubon and Jose Altuve with a 407-foot blast into the upper deck in right field, extending the lead to 4-0.
Pfaadt departed three batters later, having allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
An inning later, after Altuve hit an RBI single, Alvarez drilled an 0-1 sinker from Jordan Montgomery 420 feet to center, capping the scoring.
Dubon (3-for-3) and Altuve (3-for-4) recorded two runs and an RBI each.
Valdez (14-6) continued his recent run of mastery with his third scoreless start in his past four outings. He retired the Diamondbacks (79-63) in order in the second, fifth and sixth innings.
Valdez permitted two hits and three walks while striking out seven. He is 9-1 with a 2.15 ERA over his past 13 starts.
Geraldo Perdomo recorded an infield single leading off the third, the lone hit Valdez allowed until Eugenio Suarez followed a leadoff walk by Christian Walker in the seventh with a sharp single to center. Valdez rallied by getting Jake McCarthy to loft an infield popup to shortstop before inducing an inning-ending double play off the bat of Kevin Newman.
