Framber Valdez ripped off a sharp, seven-scoreless outing against Colorado, keeping Houston 1.5 games up on Seattle in the AL West. Yordan Alvarez, back from a 100-game layoff due to a fractured hand, belted a 421-foot two-run homer in the eighth, and Cam Smith followed with a homer to cushion the lead. Valdez’s curveball produced 10 whiffs on 17 swings, signaling a return to form as Houston finally pounded out late-game runs.

The Rockies hung around briefly, but the Astros’ revamped lineup and Valdez’s rejuvenated command offered a promising sign for fantasy managers chasing a Houston surge in September. Colorado’s pace toward a rough season tempered the mood, but Alvarez’s power return and Valdez’s efficiency give Houston upside down the stretch.

In a frigid home opener at Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies succumbed to the Oakland Athletics, losing 6-3 in 11 innings. Despite a sellout crowd of 48,105 braving the snow and cold, the Rockies fell to a dismal 1-6, matching their worst start through seven games in franchise history. Angel Chivilli's pitching woes contributed to the defeat, notably as Gio Urshela scored in the 11th inning with a double. The Rockies struck out 14 times and left 13 runners stranded, highlighting their struggles at the plate.

The game, marked by a bizarre eighth inning where Kyle Farmer's double was misinterpreted as an inside-the-park home run, saw Colorado tie the game at 3-3. Meanwhile, Ezequiel Tovar's defensive error allowed the A's to take the lead. Ryan Feltner pitched a solid five innings but couldn't secure the win, while the evening's biting temperature lingered at 32 degrees at game's end, the second-coldest home opener in history.