Instant analysis: Pirates set season-high in strikeouts in late loss to Astros

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jun 6, 2025

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — There wasn’t much emotion from Framber Valdez as he left the mound — it was a little too late in the night for that. But at 11:55 p.m., when the Houston Astros lefty entered his dugout, a few fist bumps and high-fives from teammates were enough for a job well done.

Seven innings from Valdez and two homers from third baseman Isaac Paredes led the Astros to a 8-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, earning a series victory. The game, which started with a three-hour, 22-minute rain delay Thursday, ended at 12:26 a.m. Friday morning.

Valdez struck out 11 Pirates. The Pirates struck out 16 times in the contest, setting a new season-high.

Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller took the loss, falling to 1-8. He allowed six runs in 61/3 innings, giving up the bulk of them in a four-run fourth. The runs came on eight hits and a walk, although Keller struck out five.

After three quick innings, Paredes started the fourth with a no-doubt homer off Keller. Houston tacked on three more singles in the inning, including a two-RBI single from rookie Jacob Melton, to pull ahead.

Houston added two more in the sixth, chasing Keller from the game. Melton, playing in his fourth major league game, started the inning with a single, then scored on a double from shortstop Jeremy Pena. Pena came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Jose Altuve.

Paredes hit another no-doubter in the ninth, a two-run shot off Ryan Borucki.

First baseman Jared Triolo scored both runs for the Pirates. He reached in all three plate appearances, going 2 for 2 with a walk.

Pittsburgh had a short-lived lead in the third when Triolo doubled, advanced to third on an Isiah Kiner-Falefa groundout, then scored on a dribbler from Oneil Cruz. The same combination scored another run in the fifth, as Triolo singled, advanced to third on a Kiner-Falefa single, then scored when Cruz added a single of his own.

It was over when…

Valdez’s final batter was the Pirates’ final chance to get back into the ballgame. First baseman Christian Walker couldn’t field a throw from second baseman Mauricio Dubon, putting runners on second and third for Cruz. But Cruz couldn’t connect on a curveball outside the zone, striking out to end the seventh.

On the mound

Pirates right-hander Kyle Nicolas relieved Keller. After a shaky first few pitches — six of seven were outside the zone — and a visit from pitching coach Oscar Marin, Nicolas recovered to get Altuve’s sacrifice fly and a weak popout from Walker.

Nicolas went on to throw a 1-2-3 eighth. In his second appearance since returning from the minors (he got two outs on two pitches Tuesday), Nicolas completed 12/3 innings without allowing a hit. He struck out one.

At the plate

The Pirates had five hits, leaving seven runners on base. Beyond the Triolo-Kiner-Falefa-Cruz trio, the Pirates combined to go 1 for 21 with three walks, a double play and 14 strikeouts.

Most valuable player

Valdez. Valdez wasn’t quite as dominant as he was in his last outing, striking out nine in an 83-pitch complete game Friday against Tampa Bay, but he did more than enough for the win.

Up next

Later Friday, the Pirates will play baseball again. The Philadelphia Phillies travel into town for a three-game series starting at 6:40 p.m. Bailey Falter (4-3, 3.14 ERA) will pitch for the Pirates against his former club, while Philadelphia will counter with right-hander Joe Ross (2-1, 4.34). The game will be televised on SportsNet Pittsburgh and broadcast on the radio on 93.7 The Fan.