The Houston Astros dropped the series opener to the Washington Nationals by a score of 2-1. It was a close loss, as starting pitcher Framber Valdez, who notched his 1,000th career strikeout in a 12-strikeout quality start, gave up one of the two runs.
But after the game, in a piece from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, Valdez expressed frustration over the defensive positioning in right field. His complaints stem from one play in particular, a hit to the wall by Nathaniel Lowe, a left-handed hitter.
"When he hit the grounder, I thought it was going to be an out," Valdez said. "When I saw it went through, I said 'Oh, it's going to be a hit.' But then I saw the right fielder playing center field and, you know, we have a center fielder for that. I feel like the right fielder should have been playing right field. I was uncomfortable with that."
Valdez's complaints over the play weren't prompted by a direct question, indicating his clear frustration over the play. He further elaborated on why he felt uncomfortable over the play.
"It doesn't make sense that was a double." Valdez said, "It doesn't make sense that the right fielder was playing in center field with a left that was hitting. ... That should have been a single. That shouldn't have been a double. The runner should have been at third and not at home. I felt a little bit uncomfortable about that."
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In a one-run loss, the defensive positioning hurts a lot more than it otherwise would. If the right fielder was in normal positioning, the Astros could've gotten out of the inning without allowing a run to score, which could've given the Astros a window to win.
Instead, the slow Josh Bell scored from first, and the Astros lost by one run. With the loss being their fifth in a row, it stings even more. Their recent struggles, thanks to a weak offense, have led the Astros to a shaky July.
While Valdez put together a solid day on the mound, it was marred by the defensive positioning in the sixth inning, which allowed a run to score. Valdez said it should be "common sense" for the Astros to keep the right fielder in right field, especially against a left-handed hitter.
It's a frustrating outcome for Valdez, which he clearly expressed through his postgame complaints. Valdez questioned the defensive positioning, challenging the coaches over their alignment.
Amid a rough July, where the Astros will finish with a losing record, Valdez's callout of the organization highlights how rough this month has been for Houston.
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