Valdez didn't factor into the decision Thursday against Oakland, allowing a run on five hits and a walk over 6.1 innings. He struck out six.

Valdez looked like he was on his way to a third-straight scoreless outing, as he blanked the A's through six innings. However, Oakland would eventually scratch a run across in the seventh before Brent Rooker tied the game 2-2 with a homer off Valdez in the eighth. While it was a tough finish, it was another excellent start overall for the left-hander, who's posted a 1.33 ERA over his last seven outings (47.1 innings). Valdez is 14-6 on the season with a 2.91 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 159:51 K:BB across 163.2 innings. He's currently scheduled to face the Padres on the road next week in his next outing.