Home runs By Soto, Judge, and Stanton call it curtains for Astros rookie pitcher Arrighetti
Well, the Astros are improving.
They lost by seven runs on Monday.
They only lost by five tonight.
It’s hard to say which is worse, the Astros offense or the Astros pitching.
The Astros’ pitching, led by “ace” Justin Verlander, allowed ten runs last night. Tonight, the staff allowed nine runs, led by starter Spencer Arrighetti’s five runs on eight hits and three walks. His season ERA is 8.44.
Except for one clean inning from Rafael Montero tonight, none of the pitchers the Astros have thrown out there have been able to contain the Yankees hitters.
In both games the Yanks had three home runs. Tonight, it was the usual suspects, Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton (again), with the hardest-hit ball all year, 119.9 MPH. The Yankees had 11 struck balls travel over 100 MPH.
However, with seven runs in the last two games and any semblance of pitching, the Astros might have had a chance for a split. But the only early-game offense is all coming from Kyle Tucker, who hit another home run tonight as the second batter in the game.
After the game was a blowout, the Astros scored two unearned runs in last night’s ninth inning and similarly managed to score one run each in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings of tonight’s game. There was never any doubt in either of these games who would win after the conclusion of the first or second inning.
In the last five games, Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Yainer Diaz are all hitting .200. Alex Bregman just keeps digging deeper. He is 2-17 during this stretch. His season BA is far below the Mendoza line and heading toward the Abreu line.
Would you have ever thought that Jon Singleton would be virtually tied with Yordan Alvarez in OPS for the season?
Tomorrow, the Astros are going with the only consistent pitcher the Astros have had all year, the improbable Ronel Blanco. Why do I think our fantasy that he’s another Astros Cinderella is about to be shattered? If he can hold the Yankees tomorrow, then it’s time to say he’s for real.
We’ll see.
Here’s the Box Score for your last-place Astros.