HOUSTON -- For at least one afternoon anyway, the Astros were a thing of beauty.
That’s because of right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, who won for the third time in three starts by holding the Yankees to one run in seven innings. And because of first baseman Christian Walker, who went 3-for-4 and homered for the second time in as many games. And, yes, because of Yordan Alvarez, who was … Yordan Alvarez.
Isn’t it great when a plan comes together?
The Astros snapped a six-game losing streak at Daikin Park with just their fifth win in their past 20 games, thumping the Yankees, 7-4, in the series finale Sunday. Arrighetti tied the longest start by a Houston pitcher this season, allowing one run on a home run by Aaron Judge in the sixth inning -- on Judge’s 34th birthday, no less.
“Everybody wants to pitch good every time we go out there, so I’m really thankful that I've been putting the team in a position to win games,” Arrighetti said. “Obviously that's really my only goal every time I go out there is [to] go deep in the game and keep us in the ballgame.”
By that time Judge homered, the Astros had built a 7-0 lead behind Walker’s Statcast-projected 432-foot two-run homer in the first inning off Yankees starter Luis Gil, Isaac Paredes’ two-run homer off the left-field foul pole in the third and a two-run double by Walker in the fifth. Alvarez continued his torrid start by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, raising his Major League-leading OPS to 1.220.
“We did a nice job of getting Gil in the zone, being patient and forced him to walk us a few times,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “Two big swings, two big homers against him. Really good at-bats from the very beginning. Our game plan, our strategy behind our offensive approach today was really good.”
Arrighetti became the second Astros pitcher to throw seven innings this season, joining Lance McCullers Jr. He threw seven innings in his first start of the season against the Red Sox on March 30. Arrighetti, who began the season in Triple-A, improved to 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts (18 innings) this season.
He threw 18 of 26 first-pitch strikes and had five whiffs in nine swings on his curveball against a Yankees lineup that featured six lefties and Judge. More importantly, Arrighetti issued only one walk -- a welcome sight for an Astros pitching staff that leads the Majors in most walks allowed. Houston walked a season-high-tying 10 batters in Saturday’s loss.
“Just being aggressive in the strike zone, honestly,” Arrighetti said. “I feel like my first couple starts, I kind of pitched around some guys. It’s never on purpose, but trying to be too perfect sometimes, that'll happen. I did a really good report on these guys. I saw that with the new ABS system, they've been trying to shrink the zone, so I just lean into that and try to be really aggressive in the box and make him swing the bat a lot.
“Good things happen when you're aggressive, and that’s a really, really good lineup. So being able to navigate it through seven innings, I'm really proud of that.”
Walker had his fourth game with at least three hits and a homer, which is the most in the Majors this year. His seven homers match his most through the first 29 games of a season in his career (2019 and 2023). Walker didn’t hit his seventh homer last season until May 27.
“I know the numbers at home weren't great last year. Honestly, the uncomfort overall was just a little bit higher last year,” Walker said. “And really just mostly in the first half. I try not to overthink it. You leave last year where it is, try to make an adjustment, and right now it’s a lot about timing and making sure I can handle these guys’ fastball. I feel like if I can calmly get to a heater, the other stuff makes a lot more sense.”
The Astros have won consecutive games just once in April and will try to find a way to build on one of their most complete wins of the season as they hit the road this week for Baltimore and Boston.
“Any time you're well or playing up to your expectations, I think the energy's gonna be a little bit better,” Walker said.