Spencer Arrighetti gave the Houston Astros exactly what they needed Friday night—six strong innings in a tied game against the American League’s best team. It was not enough.
Junior Caminero, the Tampa Bay Rays third baseman in the middle of one of the hottest stretches in baseball, crushed a Steven Okert sweeper over the Crawford Boxes in the seventh inning for a solo home run that proved the decisive blow in a 3-1 loss at Daikin Park. It was Caminero’s 25th of the season, tying him with Byron Buxton for second in the AL behind Yordan Alvarez.
Arrighetti had been excellent through six innings—facing the minimum through five, walking one batter, and limiting the Rays to soft contact throughout. He finished at 73 pitches with the game tied and did not return. With Caminero due up third and the left-on-left matchup looking favorable, Espada turned to Okert. One pitch ended the discussion.
Nick Fortes added a two-out RBI double off Enyel De Los Santos in the eighth, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-1 and ensuring Alvarez would need baserunners ahead of him to come up as the tying run. None reached, and Alvarez grounded out to end the inning. Rays relievers retired the Astros’ final 11 hitters in order.
Alvarez’s 27th home run, a sixth-inning sinker driven into the bullpen, was Houston’s lone offensive highlight and its only answer to a Rays staff that held the Astros to three hits. Nick Martinez carried a shutout into the sixth before Alvarez ended it; from there, Kevin Kelly, Casey Legumina, and Bryan Baker were untouchable.
Arrighetti’s rebound was real—a welcome sign after a disastrous June. His sixth quality start of the season, and one that deserved a better outcome.
Houston fell to 43-47. The series continues Saturday at Daikin Park, with Hunter Brown starting against Drew Rasmussen.
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