If the Astros needed another challenge to add to their 2026 season, playing at Wrigley Field is it. Since moving to the American League, the Astros are 1-5 in Chicago.
The Cubs are one of the better teams in the league this season, sitting at 29-21, but they are on a cold streak, which means this is far from a guaranteed loss for Houston.
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 beaten some of the best teams in the league this season, including the Yankees and the Dodgers. If they can do that, they can win at Wrigley.
That being said, they are walking into this series at 20-31, and they haven't won at Wrigley Field since June 22, 2013. That is over a decade without a win at one of baseball's most iconic stadiums.
Every time it looks like the Astros are starting to build momentum, they fall right back down. They had a chance to win back-to-back series, first taking the series against the Texas Rangers and then against the Twins, but dropped the series finale against the Twins. For a team that needs to string wins together, coming into Wrigley on the wrong side of a series is not ideal.
Their pitching staff is becoming thinner and thinner, especially with Lance McCullers Jr. landing on the IL this week. Luckily for the Astros, they have Arrighetti kicking off the series, one of the few bright spots in a bleak season.
Sitting at 5-1 with a 1.50 ERA, Arrighetti is exactly who they need on the mound at Wrigley Field if they want a chance to break their losing streak in Chicago.
The Cubs have been struggling recently, losing to the Brewers and White Sox and entering today on a five game losing streak. That is exactly the kind of vulnerability the Astros need to take advantage of.
Breaking a long drought at one of baseball's most storied venues could be a game changing confidence boost for a team that badly needs one. Today might be the best chance the Astros have had to win at Wrigley in years. They have the right pitcher on the mound, the Cubs are struggling and the drought is long overdue to end. There is no better time than now.
