Shades of the Phillies series.
Shades of the winning 2025 Astros.
It was a shutout for the first five innings, a pitcher’s duel between the Astros’ Framber Valdez and the Cubs’ Jameson Taillon.
Taillon blinked first, On his 107th pitch he served up a howitzer shell that Jose Altuve launched into the Crawford Boxes only 347 feet away, but at a 44 degree launch angle. It gave the Astros a 2-0 lead.
Valdez maintained his shutout though six innings, extending his scoreless inning streak during the homestand to 13.