Incredible facts about Framber's no-no and the backstop behind it
Tuesday was a magical day for the Astros organization.
Just hours after Justin Verlander returned to Houston in a trade with the Mets, Framber Valdez tossed the third no-hitter of the 2023 season and the 16th in Astros franchise history.
After a pair of combined no-hitters in the 2022 season, including one in the World Series, Valdez was the first Astro to throw an individual no-hitter since 2019. The previous Houston pitcher to do so? None other than Verlander himself.
Here are nine facts about Valdez’s no-hitter and the finishing touches on a wild day for the sport.
• Valdez’s no-hitter is, as noted above, the 16th in Astros history, with all but four of those being thrown by a single, individual pitcher. Remarkably, Valdez’s is the first of those individual Astros’ no-nos to be thrown by a lefty.
• Another thing about those 16 by Houston? That’s the most no-hitters thrown by any club since the Astros’ first season in 1962. The next most by any club in that span is 13, by the Dodgers.
• Valdez’s 93 pitches were the third fewest in a no-hitter since pitch counts have been tracked (1988), behind only Darryl Kile’s 83 on Sept. 8, 1993, also for the Astros, and David Cone’s 88 in his July 18, 1999, perfect game for the Yankees.
• How efficient was he? Among 12 individual players in Astros history to throw a no-hitter, Valdez became the first to do so while facing the minimum 27 batters. Valdez allowed one walk to Oscar Gonzalez in the fifth inning but induced a double play from Will Brennan shortly after.
• Valdez is just the second Dominican-born left-hander to throw a no-hitter and the ninth lefty born outside of the 50 states to do so, according to Elias. Valdez joins 2018 James Paxton (Canada), 2012 Johan Santana (Venezuela), 2011 Francisco Liriano (Dominican Republic), 2009 Jonathan Sánchez (Puerto Rico), 1991 Wilson Alvarez (Venezuela), 1990 Fernando Valenzuela (Mexico), 1987 Juan Nieves (Puerto Rico) and 1882 Tony Mullane (Ireland).
Star-studded support
• This was Martín Maldonado’s third MLB no-hitter behind the plate, but as he noted to Julia Morales on the field postgame, it’s the first he’s caught from an individual pitcher. On Aug. 3, 2019, he caught a combined no-hitter from Aaron Sanchez, Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski. And on June 25, 2022, he was behind the plate for a combined effort from Cristian Javier, Héctor Neris and Ryan Pressly.
• And if we go beyond MLB, it’s worth noting that Maldonado also caught eight perfect innings in a World Baseball Classic game for Team Puerto Rico in March, in a mercy rule-shortened game. That game was also a combined effort, by Jose De Leon, Yacksel Ríos, Edwin Díaz and Duane Underwood Jr.
• Maldonado’s three no-hitters caught are tied for the third most in MLB history, behind only Carlos Ruiz and Jason Varitek, with four each, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He’s the 18th player to be the starting catcher in at least three no-hitters.
• Dusty Baker has now managed five no-hitters, tied for the fourth most in MLB history with Fielder Jones, Connie Mack, Leo Durocher and Bruce Bochy, according to Elias. Only Walter Alston (seven), A.J. Hinch (six) and John McGraw (six) managed more.