Peter Lambert will open second half for Astros

Arrighetti gave up one hit, walked four and struck out six. His only run allowed came in the fourth inning when he allowed an RBI single to Dylan Beavers. Arrighetti has 87 strikeouts in 87 innings this year. His ERA is 4.34, though his xFIP is 4.84. Arrighetti’s problem continues to be that he walks too many batters. He’s lined up to face the White Sox on the road next weekend.

Lambert leaned on his fastball for a dominant start here. He located it well at the letters all night and the Orioles hitters couldn’t help but swing under it. In all, it forced nine of his 14 total swings-and-misses and seven called strikes as well. That helped the pitch turn in an elite 77% strike rate. From there, he mixed his bevy of secondaries to keep the Orioles. His three walks were a blemish on his ledger and came in three consecutive plate appearances which forced home the only run he allowed. He’s become a breakout star this season with a 3.03 ERA, 91 strikeouts, and 36 walks through 92 innings as a steadying force in the Astros’ otherwise chaotic rotation. He’s scheduled to face the Marlins at home next time out.

Lambert gave up three hits, walked one and struck out seven. He improved to 8-5 with the win. Lambert has won six of his last seven decision. He was excellent against the Rangers on Saturday, lowering his ERA to 3.14 heading into the All-Star break.

Brown didn’t look right this entire start. He set the tone poorly by walking Joc Pederson to start the game which led to a two-run Rangers rally in the first. From there, his command was a complete mess. He never found the feel for either his knuckle-curve or slider and really had to grit his teeth to fight out of some jams. Still, he turned in a quality start and gave his team a chance to win the game.

Arrighetti walked six, struck out two, and allowed two homers in the ugly performance. It isn’t a surprise given it came on the road against one of the highest-scoring lineups in MLB, but he has scuffled badly lately. He now has an 8.74 ERA over his past seven starts. This was his final outing of the first half. The Astros host the Orioles coming out of the All-Star break.

Lambert threw 60-of-90 pitches for strikes, and he struck out six against one walk while allowing just three hits. The right-hander scuffled a bit in his previous outing against the Twins, but for the most part, he’s been a solid — and surprising — helper for the Houston rotation as seen in his 7-5 record and 3.26 ERA. He’ll make his final start before the All-Star break against the Rangers on the road.

Brown served up the daily Junior Caminero homer on a solo shot in the first inning. He then gave up a two-run homer to Richie Palacios in the second. Things really got away from Brown in the third, as he gave up three more runs on two walks, two hits, and a double steal. The Rays put one more run on the board against Brown on a hit, walk, and fielder’s choice in the fourth. That would do it for Brown, ending his day after four frames with three strikeouts. The 27-year-old right-hander will take a 3.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and a 35/17 K/BB ratio across 29 1/3 innings into a start against the Rangers in Texas on Friday.

This was the fourth time in Arrighetti’s last five starts where he wasn’t super curveball dependent. It was also just the fifth time in 14 starts this season where he threw more fastballs than curves. That usage pattern wasn’t consistent here though. After throwing it sparingly the first time around the order – and almost exclusively trying to land it in the zone early for strikes – he went to it more heavily the second time around and was more hunting for whiffs. It helped him be more efficient, but he missed fewer bats and was pulled after just 73 pitches before he had to see Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda for a third time. Funny enough, Caminero homered in the seventh off a reliever. Still, Arrighetti pitched well and left this outing with a 3.81 ERA, 79 strikeouts, and 38 walks through 78 innings this season. He’ll close out his first half with a start against the Nationals next week.

Lambert gave up five hits, walked three and struck out four. He fell to 6-5 with the loss. All four of the runs Lambert allowed came on home runs. Royce Lewis and Victor Caratini hit solo shots in the fourth inning before Josh Bell hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning. Lambert has a 3.51 ERA, but can struggle at times given the amount of fastballs he throws. He’s lined up to face the Nationals on the road next week.

Brown punched out four batters in the ballgame while issuing a pair of walks. He served up a two-run homer to Zach McKinstry in the second inning, then the Tigers scratched out an unearned run against him in the fifth. That was the extent of the damage. Brown got 10 swings and misses on 103 pitches on the afternoon, registering a CSW of 25 percent. He’ll carry a stellar 1.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and a 32/13 K/BB ratio (25 1/3 innings) into Saturday’s matchup against the Rays.