ARLINGTON, Texas —
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Chris Martin replaced Leiter but exited with right shoulder discomfort after one pitch. Garcia, a lefty, got two outs before Paredes’ seventh homer.
“Balls found holes that inning,” Leiter said. “All day they weren’t finding holes. Start the eighth, still make good pitches, and two of them find holes. You leave the game with two runners on and no outs, you’ve got to hold yourself accountable to those. That’s a really tough ask out of the bullpen.”
Valdez was perfect in five of his first six innings, the exception being a three-run fourth that started with three consecutive singles. The 31-year-old escaped trouble in the seventh, setting the stage for the rally.
Nine months ago, Valdez’s only wobble came with two outs in the ninth, when he allowed a walk ahead of Seager’s shot. He said that outing wasn’t on his mind as he cruised through three more innings this time.
“I’m not focused on what happened last time I was here,” Valdez said. “I’m focusing on what’s happening now. I felt like I had seven very good innings.”
Houston manager Joe Espada saw only the first two-plus innings of Leiter’s effort live. He was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the third.
“He’s got great stuff,” Espada said. “Explosive fastball, sliders. He works on the edges. He was efficient. I never give up on our guys. We’re going to give you a run for your money.”
