After setting a single-season franchise record for most quality starts last year, Framber Valdez, 30, is falling apart as a Cy Young candidate this season.

The Houston Astros hosted the Texas Rangers on April 27 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

Valdez started the game for Houston and was unable to withstand the Texas offense. In 3 2/3 innings, he threw 80 pitches (45 for strikes), allowing six runs on eight hits.

It was Valdez’s third straight quality start in which he gave up multiple runs. He gave up five runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels on April 16 and four runs in five innings against the Oakland Athletics on April 22.

Valdez had pitched 126 innings in 20 games leading up to this point, going 8-7 with a 3.29 ERA. He has 134 strikeouts. Still good numbers, but the second half is the problem. He has a 9.00 ERA.

Valdez’s season ERA, which was 2.51 at the end of the first half, rose to 3.29 after a three-game slump. He was in danger of falling out of the Cy Young race.

Valdez was initially projected as the American League’s Cy Young Award frontrunner after Shane McClanahan (26, Tampa Bay Rays) was sidelined twice with injuries.

But now he’s far behind McClanahan, as well as American League leader Nathan Eovaldi, in ERA. Eighth in the American League.온라인바카라

Three straight poor second-half performances have taken a lot out of him. There’s no sign of last year’s quality starts and the steady first half of this season.

With a 58-45 record and a .563 winning percentage, Houston has closed the gap on first place Texas by two games. Valdez’s performance is absolutely necessary for Houston to move past Texas.

After a very good start as the ace of the defending champions, it will be interesting to see if Valdez can bounce back from the shock of the first three games of the second half to rejoin the Cy Young race.