Spencer Arrighetti was on the verge of baseball immortality Friday night, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning as the Houston Astros blanked the Texas Rangers 2-0 at Minute Maid Park. The rookie right-hander, who began the season in Triple-A Sugar Land, has been nothing short of phenomenal since his call-up—boasting a microscopic 1.50 ERA through six starts.
Arrighetti (5-1) was electric, striking out five and walking four before Rangers rookie Justin Foscue shattered the no-hit bid with a single to left field on Arrighetti’s 102nd and final pitch. It was a heart-stopping moment for the Astros faithful, who had been on their feet since the sixth inning, sensing something special.
Reliever Bryan King immediately slammed the door, getting Joc Pederson to fly out to right field. Then, in a heads-up play, catcher Christian Vazquez picked off Foscue at first base to end the inning. King would go on to retire the side in order in the ninth for his fourth save of the year.
The Astros' offense provided just enough support. Isaac Paredes launched a solo home run in the third inning to give Houston the lead, and Braden Shewmake extended his career-high hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI single in the eighth to add an insurance run.
Defensively, the Astros were just as sharp. Left fielder Zach Dezenzo kept the no-hitter alive with a spectacular diving catch on a line drive by Alejandro Osuna for the second out of the fifth. First baseman Christian Walker then turned a tough-hop grounder into an inning-ending double play in the sixth.
For the Rangers, rookie Justin Foscue—who entered the game with just 11 plate appearances this season—grounded out in his first two at-bats before finally breaking through. Texas starter Jack Leiter (1-4) pitched well in a losing effort, allowing just one run on three hits with six strikeouts over seven innings.
The Rangers also gave star shortstop Corey Seager the night off as he battles an 0-for-27 slump. The series continues Saturday with a marquee pitching matchup: Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.62 ERA) faces Astros righty Kai-Wei Teng (1-3, 3.12 ERA).