Valdez (1-0) picked up a win after giving up an unearned run on two hits while striking out three over 2.1 innings Wednesday against the Yankees.
Valdez entered the game with two outs in the eighth after the Yankees tied it up and were threatening to take the lead with Gio Urshela in scoring position. He was able to get the game into extra innings by sending down the Yankees' top four hitters in order and was one out away from closing it out in the 10th before Kyle Higashioka ripped a single to right to tie the game up at three apiece. When the O's scored in the following frame and ultimately closed out the victory, Valdez picked up his first win of the season. The 36-year-old is quite the story, as he was out of affiliated baseball entirely between 2011 and 2015 and again from 2017 to 2019 before the Orioles selected his contract late in the 2020 season. Hunter Harvey is expected to be out for a while after suffering an oblique strain in spring training, which has allowed Valdez to take hold of the closer role. He already has two saves and a win to his name in three appearances this season, locking down games for an Orioles squad that has gotten off to a surprising 4-2 start.