HOUSTON — Justin Verlander dueled Framber Valdez through seven innings Tuesday night in his Houston homecoming, but in the end it was his former teammate that bested him.
The Mets fell 4-2 to the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park in the second game of a three-game series. Verlander, who won his third Cy Young Award as a member of the Astros less than a year ago, gave up all four runs, continuing his trend of following each good start with a tough one.
The Astros took three runs off their former ace in the third inning. A leadoff double, a single and a sacrifice fly gave Houston (40-34) a 1-0 lead. Alex Bregman’s two-out, two-run homer to left field made it 3-0.
Verlander (2-4) settled in, shutting down the Astros for the next three innings. He allowed one more run in the seventh, but otherwise was effective. The four runs came on eight hits and the 40-year-old right-hander struck out five and walked none. It wasn’t his best start, but it wasn’t his worst. However, it wasn’t exactly the outcome he had been hoping for during an emotional return to the city where he won two World Series championships.
Verlander received his championship ring Monday and reflected on his 5 1/2 years with the Astros. He was married a few days after winning his first World Series. He became a dad while playing for Houston and he revived his career after Tommy John surgery left many wondering if he would be able to return.
This was the first time this season the Mets lost a game in which their starting pitcher went seven full innings (8-1).
Valdez (7-5), a left-hander, no-hit the Mets (34-39) for 5 1/3 innings. Mark Canha broke it up with an infield single. The Mets had no answer for him until the eighth, when they scored twice to cut the Astros lead in half. Tommy Pham led off with a single to extend his hitting streak to six games. A double by Francisco Alvarez put him on third base, in position to score on Canha’s fly ball two batters later. A line drive to center field by Eduardo Escobar scored Alvarez.
Valdez was efficient in limiting the Mets to two earned runs on four hits while walking one and striking out nine. The Mets didn’t have many baserunners to begin with and only left two on.
Right-hander Jeff Brigham got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning to keep the Mets in the game. But right-hander Ryan Pressly retired the side in order in the ninth to work his 13th save.
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