Arrighetti’s nine earned runs before the end of the first inning exceeded his total run allowance for the entire month of August.
During August, five Astros runs would be an almost for-sure Astros win. Today, five runs were not enough to avoid a blowout.
Oh well. At least a blowout loss feels better than a walk-off loss.
For those skeptics who doubted the Spencer Arrighetti rookie miracle, you fears today were brutally confirmed. He suffered a total shellacking. Before the first inning ended Arrighetti was charged with nine earned runs, starting with a leadoff homer by Jonathon India. Suffice it to say it was no fluke. The Reds followed with two doubles, a single, two walks, a double, another walk, and two singles, the latter after Tay Scott replaced Arrighetti with two outs.
The nine earned runs were more than Arrighetti allowed through the entire month of August. He came into the game with a 4.63 ERA but exited the first inning with a 5.26 record.
Scott allowed another run on four hits in 2.1 innings, followed by Forrest Whitley. Whitley allowed two runs on three hits in the fifth inning in 1.2 IP, one of them on an infield hit when a runner hustled home from second base.
The Astros managed avoiding a complete blowout with a run in the second and three in the sixth, starting with Yainer Diaz getting on through an error followed by a two out single by Mauricio Dubon, a walk, a two-run single by Zach Dezenzo, and an RBI single by Chas McCormick.
The Astros scoring ended with a seventh inning homer by Jon Singleton.
After Whitley’s exit, Kaleb Ort, Hector Neris, and Ryan Pressly held the Reds scoreless, allowing only one hit between them.
Tomorrow the Astros try to avoid a sweep in Cinnci.