For as much as I tend to fixate on Framber Valdez’s meltdowns, I feel there are times when I don’t appreciate the consistency he provides. By consistency, I mean his availability and generally above-average results. He may never fully replicate that excellent 2021-22 peak, but the overall results are hard to ignore. The Astros are better when Valdez takes the ball every fifth day, even with the occasional bad game thrown in the mix, although any team will have to live with wondering when the “good” or “bad” version of Valdez will show up.
But against the Dodgers on Friday evening, there was little doubt that “good” Valdez was on display.