Thank you, Spencer Arrighetti, for reminding us what a quality start looks like. It has been a while.
For the first time in what feels like months, the Astros’ pitching staff didn’t cause me too much heartburn. I know this kind of feeling won’t be common this season. That said, it was a nice change of pace for a team desperately in need of some positives.
First, Arrighetti looked pretty sharp for most of his start, striking out ten across six innings of one-run ball. The Rockies saw a little bit of everything from him, with a healthy dose of curveballs, sweepers, and fastball variants. But Arrighetti’s curveball was particularly effective, generating 16 whiffs on 22 swings (73%!). His only real blemish was Willi Castro’s RBI double in the second.
If Houston aims to remain afloat this season, this team needs to see more of this version of Arrighetti. Of course, he won’t face Colorado in every start, but this game was a positive development. For one game, you can see some hope actually materializing. The bullpen actually did a decent job, too. Steven Okert, Bryan Abreu, and Enyel De Los Santos combined for three scoreless innings, striking out five. Everything about this game from a pitching perspective was a nice change of pace.
The lineup, however, wasn’t spectacular. But they did enough to help secure a win, scoring two on a pair of sacrifice flies in the first inning, followed by Yordan Alvarez’s solo home run in the third.
Four runs total in the first three innings accounted for all of the scoring. The Rockies threatened to score a couple of times again throughout the game, yet the Astros’ pitching staff only bent, not broke. Houston’s lineup would also have opportunities to pad its early lead, with nothing to show for the troubles.
In any case, it was a good win for the Astros. A series win is guaranteed now. Let’s see if they can get the sweep tomorrow.
Feature photo from @astros on X, Source Link
Our hitters were patient and made the Roc’s pitchers pitch more than average. The trend continues.
Our pitchers were on the efficient side. 5 walks is an improvement over recent performance. It’s encouraging, but it’s the Rocs.
also….
so good.
I think Spencer is here to stay. I don’t see how he gets kicked from the rotation after the performance he just had. Going to be interesting when HB gets back who they keep.
even if he wasn’t that good, he’d be good to stay. with 4 starters on the IL, youre suiting up anybody with an arm that’s still attached to their body.