Jared Triolo, who entered with a .152 batting average, had two of Pittsburgh’s five hits against him. Triolo drove a leadoff double in the third inning and scored on two groundouts. Valdez’s only other blip came in the fifth, when Triolo had the first of three straight two-out singles against him.

After the start of the game was delayed three hours, 22 minutes by rain, Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez made short work of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Valdez struck out the side in the first in