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Valdez was credited with the win in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series between the Astros and Twins. He allowed two hits and two walks while striking out five over five scoreless innings in relief of Zack Greinke.
Valdez had a breakout regular season and ended up being the story of the wild-card opener. Per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, Valdez became the first relief pitcher to throw five scoreless innings in a playoff game since Madison Bumgarner in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series. This takes the lefty out of the mix to start during the first round, but should the Astros advance, Valdez will likely start Game 1 or 2 of the best-of-five AL Division Series.
