ROYALS DEFEAT ASTROS
Astros top pitching prospect Spencer Arrighetti struggles in MLB debut against Royals
Apr 11, 2024, 7:44 am
Astros look to avoid the sweep Thursday afternoon. Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images.
Spencer Arrighetti's major league debut for the Houston Astros hardly went as planned.
The team's top pitching prospect was tagged for seven runs in the third inning of an 11-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
“I would say a little bit of nerves (and) a lot of emotions,” Arrighetti said. “When you want something that bad your whole life, you want it to be perfect. You want it to go really smoothly and you want everything to feel good. But (the) reality is before the game I was a little bit of an anxious mess. I feel like I had to work harder to get my emotions down a little bit.”
Called up from Triple-A Sugar Land to fill an opening in Houston's injury-depleted rotation, Arrighetti held the Royals off the scoreboard while laboring through the first two innings.
But he unraveled in the third as Kansas City sent 11 batters to the plate.
“He started the game throwing the ball well,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “That third inning kind of got away from him. He started leaving some balls over the plate. I felt like everything they put in play kind of fell for them.”
Arrighetti allowed seven runs, seven hits and three walks in three innings. He struck out three and threw 47 of 79 pitches for strikes.
The 24-year-old right-hander was the Astros’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2023. He went 9-7 with a 4.40 ERA in 124 2/3 innings over 28 appearances, including 21 starts. He recorded 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“We’ve seen the increase in (velocity) the last year or two. And when he executes his pitches, he can work both sides of the plate. And if he does that, he’ll be in good shape,” Espada said before the game.
Arrighetti was born in New Mexico and went to high school in Texas before the Astros chose him in the sixth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Louisiana at Lafayette.
He had 10 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings at Triple-A this season, allowing two runs and seven hits with seven walks in two starts.
“Knowing that you belong is very important,” Espada said before the game. “I think he knows he belongs. (He’ll) not try to do too much, stay calm, let your defense help you out, execute your pitches and trust the plan. I think he’s capable of doing those things.”
To make room for Arrighetti on the roster, Houston optioned right-hander Wander Suero to Sugar Land.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.