Valdes’ Repertoire Not Complete, Yet

Starting pitcher Ismael Valdes may have the finest arm in the organization, and many baseball executives project him to be a future 20-game winner, but he has one flaw that continues to haunt him.

Valdes still has failed to pitch a complete game this season, and once again, his early departure came back to haunt him Sunday in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros.

Valdes, who said he was too fatigued to pitch any longer in his last start, leaving after five innings, this time was left to fend on his own. He opened the sixth by yielding a single to John Cangelosi and a double to Craig Biggio. Yet, there was not a soul warming up in the bullpen.

“He’s a young starting pitcher,” interim Manager Bill Russell said. “He needs to face those kinds of situations so he knows how to handle it.”

Valdes induced Jeff Bagwell to hit a fly ball to shallow right field for the first out. He opted to pitch to Derek Bell with first base open, but on an 0-and-2 count, watched Bell hit a belt-high fastball to center field for a sacrifice fly, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Valdes, who yielded nine hits, failed to get out of the seventh. He yielded a run-scoring single to John Cangelosi, tying the score, 2-2, when Russell removed him with runners on second and third and one out. Reliever Mark Guthrie came in and struck out Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell, ending the inning.

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Third baseman Tim Wallach, who is three for eight with a home run and four runs batted in during his first two games at Class-A San Bernardino, could find himself in the Dodger lineup Tuesday. If the Dodgers don’t make a trade, infielder/outfielder Chad Fonville is expected to be sent to triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Wallach. . . . Reliever Darren Hall, who underwent elbow surgery April 29, threw off the mound Sunday for the first time since his surgery.