Offense Still Wanted, Astros’ Pitching Leads The Way in 2-1 Victory Over Mets

Entering the season, I anticipated that the Astros’ pitching staff, particularly the starting rotation, would be a strength of this roster. We all know what Framber Valdez is capable of on any given start, but I am also bullish on the other arms within the rotation. If Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti can continue their upward trajectory from last season, there is a lot to like at least on the starting pitcher side of the roster.

Arrighetti’s development could significantly impact the ceiling of Houston’s rotation this season. One of the aspects I was eager to observe was whether the right-hander would utilize his sinker/two-seam fastball more frequently. As Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported earlier in March, Arrighetti recognized the limitations of his four-seam fastball, a pitch against which opposing hitters posted a .516 slugging percentage in 2024. In addition to adjusting the location to potentially miss higher in the strike zone with his four-seam, he was also incorporating a sinker/two-seam fastball to aid in inducing more swings and misses with a pitch that has a different movement profile.

Arrighetti has utilized a sinker/two-seam fastball in the past, though infrequently. According to Statcast, he threw it only ten times last season. Given how rarely he had employed it previously, I wondered if we would see a significant increase in its usage as early as his first start. However, it turned out that Arrighetti didn’t need it on Saturday against the Mets, throwing it just twice. Nevertheless, his other pitches performed admirably, allowing New York only one hit and one run over six impressive innings, striking out five while walking two. It could’ve been even better if one of his two walks hadn’t been to Jose Siri, who promptly stole second base and would eventually score from third on a lackadaisical toss to first base following a fakeout.

In a game with an already slim margin, that play could’ve been the one that stands out if the Astros lose. Thankfully, Arrighetti didn’t allow any additional damage, and the bullpen of Bryan King, Bryan Abreu, and Josh Hader threw three scoreless innings. The lineup, in turn, was able to generate an additional run of support almost immediately after in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

Talking about the lineup, Houston finally got that elusive first extra base hit of the season, courtesy of Jeremy Peña’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

Yordan Alvarez’s RBI double in the sixth inning turned out to be the winning run of the game, marking another extra base hit. To be clear, the lineup struggled throughout the evening, yet the two runs were sufficient to get the job done. Thankfully.

The Astros secured their first series of the season and head into Sunday’s off-day with a 2-1 record. They now anticipate a reunion of sorts, as Justin Verlander comes into town with his new team, the Giants, for a three-game series. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see Verlander pitch in this series as he also started on Saturday and won’t pitch again until later in the week.