Another win for Spencer Arrighetti on Friday night at Daikin Park as the Astros continue their homestand. Arrighetti has been the bright spot in the Astros' ever-so-struggling pitching staff and challenging 2026 season, and Friday night was no different. He had another outstanding performance for the Houston Astros, earning another win.
With all of the promising arms Houston entered the season with, it's the former Triple-A starter who has emerged as the anchor of the staff. Arrighetti has been the most consistent option, and that's exactly what this team needs right now. The one pitcher that takes the mound and you think, "Oh, Arrighetti is starting today, the Astros will probably win."
And Friday night was another example of exactly that. Arrighetti kicked off the game with two strikeouts and went on to pitch a complete shutout. Here is a look at his final stat line:
IP: 7.1, H: 1, R: 0, SO: 5, BB: 4, Pitches: 102 (62 strikes)
Arrighetti entered Friday's game with the chance to join only two players in the last decade for the Astros who did not allow more than two earned runs in six starts. He had made it five, so the question was, could he make it six? Sure enough, he did.
Arrighetti now joins Hunter Brown from last season and Dallas Keuchel from 2017. For a 26-year-old who started the season in Triple-A he has proven he belongs in the big leagues, and his updated season numbers back that up: 5-1, 1.50 ERA, 36.0 innings pitched, 35 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP, per MLB.
Arrighetti was outstanding but he didn't do it alone. His teammates had his back. Christian Walker had a great night at first base and came through in crucial moments.
The outfielders were locked in as well, making some highlight reel plays in the field. Zach Cole ran a ball down in a full sprint to make a catch for an out, and Zach Dezenzo had an incredible diving catch to save extra bases, one of the most exciting moments of the night.
Then, of course, Isaac Paredes hit a homer, his 4th of the season, and put the Astros on the board.
Between Arrighetti's dominant outing and the rest of the team stepping up around him, the Astros looked like the team they are capable of being. A few mishaps happened here and there, but nothing that put the Rangers on the board, and they ended the night with a shutout win.