Spencer Arrighetti didn’t lose this game—his defense did.
Arrighetti held the Cincinnati Reds to one earned run in 5.2 innings Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, striking out five and posting an ERA of 1.88. It wasn’t enough. A throwing error by Zach Cole and a fielding error by Cam Smith in the fifth inning opened the door for two unearned runs, and the Astros fell 3-1, splitting the first two games of the series.
The damage came in a chaotic fifth. Spencer Steer singled to lead off, then stole second. Will Benson walked. Jose Trevino lifted what appeared to be a routine fly ball toward the right-field line, and it clanked off Smith’s glove. It was a jarring miscue from one of the game’s better defensive outfielders; Smith entered Saturday leading all right fielders in outs above average and tied for second in runs saved. With the bases loaded and one out, Matt McLain lined a two-run single to left. A walk reloaded the bases. Arrighetti got a shallow flyout but Elly De La Cruz singled in a third run before Cole threw out McLain trying to score on the play. Three runs, two errors, one earned.
Arrighetti settled through the first four innings, retiring the Reds in order twice and allowing just two hits. He fell to 4-1 on the season, dropping his ERA from 1.61 to 1.88 despite pitching well enough to win.
Braden Shewmake provided Houston’s only offense, launching a solo home run to right-center in the fifth off Chase Burns—his third homer in his 19 at-bats with Houston. Before joining the Astros, Shewmake was 8-for-68 with one home run in the majors combined with Atlanta and the White Sox. The 23-year-old Burns, drafted second overall two years ago, works primarily off a fastball and slider and entered with a 2.20 ERA in seven starts. The Astros managed just four hits and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position against him. Burns closed his six innings with a 100.2 mph fastball past Cam Smith on his 87th pitch, improving to 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA.
Burns also picked off Jose Altuve at first base in the opening inning, cutting short a promising start. The Reds bullpen—Brock Burke, Graham Ashcraft, and Pierce Johnson—shut Houston out the rest of the way.
Enyel De Los Santos, Steven Okert, and Bryan Abreu finished for the Astros, each throwing a scoreless inning. It was a well-pitched game by both starters that turned on two mistakes in one inning.
The Astros go for the series win Sunday in the finale. Kai-Wei Teng makes his second start for Houston.
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