LA Final Score: Dodgers Fail to Beat Valdez, Shut Out 5-0 by Astros

The Dodgers faced the Houston Astros for the first time at Minute Maid Park since 2021 on Friday, with the Dodgers failing to score a run in a 5-0 shutout loss.

Gavin Stone started against Houston after going five innings in which he allowed only one run against the Boston Red Sox. Stone faced Houston left-hander Framber Valdez, who entered the game with a 3.63 ERA to Stone’s 3.19.

Stone managed to work a quick, eight-pitch first inning against the Astros’ trio of All-Stars. When Stone struggled in the second, he fell behind in the count against left fielder Joey Loperfido with two men on base and served up an RBI single the other way to give Houston the early lead.

Stone’s kryptonite was his tendency to find the middle of the strike zone after falling behind in the count. In the fourth inning, Stone fell behind in the count 2-1 after throwing a first-pitch strike to Alex Bregman. Bregman quickly sent a fastball across the middle of the plate for a solo home run that doubled Houston’s lead.

In the fifth inning, Stone trailed 3-1 by first baseman Jon Singleton after starting with an 0-1 lead. After running the score to 100 percent, Stone threw a cut fastball that got too tight in the zone, and Singleton demolished it in the second deck, doubling Houston’s lead once again.

Shohei Ohtani led off the game with a double to left-center field, but after that double, the Dodgers’ offense went completely silent.

Valdez struck out the batters with a first-pitch strike in 16 of the 24 batters he faced, allowing only two hits when throwing a first-pitch strike. At one point, Valdez had grounded 16 consecutive batters, retiring six Dodgers in a row between the fourth and sixth innings. Even when the Dodgers began to pounce on Valdez, creating a bases-loaded opportunity with just one out in the sixth inning, Valdez worked with Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages to keep the Dodgers scoreless.

Valdez would exit in the seventh inning, allowing just four hits and two walks while striking out 10 Dodgers on six. ¹⁄₃ white sleeves.

The Dodgers’ relievers didn’t do much better to keep the lead at four runs, with Ryan Yarbrough giving up an RBI double to Mauricio Dubón to give the Astros their fifth and final run of the game. Brent Honeywell needed just three pitches to record the Dodgers’ final two outs of the game.

Since being claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 14, Honeywell has dazzled during his brief stint with the Dodgers, pitching eight shutout innings while allowing just four hits and striking out six without issuing a walk.

Friday’s loss marks the fifth time the Dodgers have been shut out this season, and the first time since June 4 against Pittsburgh.

Game Details

• Home Runs: Alex Bregman (13), Jon Singleton (8)
• WP — Framber Valdez (9-5): 6 ¹⁄₃ IP, 4 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
• LP — Gavin Stone (9-4): 6 innings, 9 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts

Following

The Dodgers will look to rebound Saturday and even the series against the Astros (4:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Starting left-hander Justin Wrobleski will make his fourth career start while starting right-hander Ronel Blanco will make his 20th start of the season for Houston.