Houston Astros starting pitcher Framber Valdez made Major League Baseball history on Sunday. The Astros hammered the Oakland Athletics 11-2 as Valdez improved to 16-5 on the season. Valdez finished tossing six innings, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. In doing so, Valdez completed his 25th consecutive quality start this season. That is the most consecutive quality starts in the same season in Major League Baseball history.
History.
Framber Valdez records his 25th consecutive quality start, a new MLB single-season record. pic.twitter.com/rPxQSIDtpV
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 18, 2022
A quality start is defined by when a starting pitcher lasts at least six innings and allowed three earned runs or fewer. It's difficult enough to do that a handful of times in a row. But for Valdez to do that 25 consecutive starts is truly incredible. The streak dates all the way back to mid-April this season.
The all-time record spanning more than one season is 26. That is held by Bob Gibson and Jacob deGrom. Valdez will get his shot at tying that record his next time out against the Baltimore Orioles on the road.
Following Houston's win Sunday, they improved to 96-51 and stretched out their division lead to 14.5 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners. More importantly, the Astros are 7.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for home field advantage in the American League playoffs.
Both New York and Houston have been the best team's in the AL all season. But with the return of Justin Verlander, to go with Framber Valdez, that's a one-two punch that New York will struggle to match up with. New York has fallen apart in the second half while Valdez and the Astros keep cruising.
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