Spencer Arrighetti does it again. And this time, he did it at one of the most iconic venues in baseball.
The Astros kicked off their series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon and walked away with a 4-2 win, breaking a drought that had been building for over a decade.
The Astros hadn't won at Wrigley Field since June 22, 2013. On Friday, they finally put that to rest.
The Cubs came into this game on a five-game losing streak after dropping a series to the Brewers and White Sox. That is exactly the kind of vulnerability the Astros needed to take advantage of, and they did, extending Chicago's losing streak to six games.
Friday was not Arrighetti's cleanest outing. The cold Chicago weather made it hard to grip the baseball, leading to 4 walks and 2 hit batters. But that is the thing about Arrighetti, he finds a way. He stranded multiple runners, kept the Cubs off the board for all 5 innings he was on the mound, allowed only 2 hits and struck out 5 batters on 89 pitches.
That is what separates him from the rest of the rotation. He now sits at 6-1 with a 1.32 ERA through seven starts, and at this point, it is hard to argue he is not one of the best pitchers in the American League.
Christian Vazquez came through at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and driving in two runs. His fourth home run of the season was a solo shot that gave the Astros some crucial run support.
The Astros may be sitting at the bottom of the AL West, but they have shown they are capable of stealing a win against anyone. They have stolen wins from the Yankees and the Dodgers, and now they have broken a 13-year losing streak at Wrigley Field. This team has the pieces. When the pitching shows up and the offense does its part, they are dangerous.
Friday was a reminder of exactly that. Arrighetti continues to be the one constant on a team that has been searching for consistency all season. As long as he is on the mound, the Astros always have a chance. The Astros have the talent, but they need to start stringing wins together and start using the momentum instead of letting it die.
