Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti walks to the dugout against the Detroit Tigers during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Detroit Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle slides safely into home plate ahead of the tag of Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz, right, during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Houston Astros manager Joe Espada, takes the ball from pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (41) during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Detroit Tigers’ James Outman, right, celebrates his three-run home run with Matt Vierling (8) and Zach McKinstry (39) against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Detroit Tigers’ James Outman watches his three-run home run against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Kevin McGonigle, left, against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter celebrates his two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Detroit Tigers’ James Outman (43) celebrates scoring with Kerry Carpenter, right, against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti throws against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Houston Astros pitcher Spencer Arrighetti throws against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Detroit Tigers pitcher Keider Montero throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, June 26, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
DETROIT – As their lineup was quieted by Tigers right-hander Keider Montero, the Houston Astros saw a rough month for Spencer Arrighetti reach a new level.
The Tigers torched Arrighetti for eight runs in three-plus innings and coasted behind Montero to an 8-0 rout of the Astros on Friday evening at Comerica Park, ending their modest three-game winning streak and evening the teams’ four-game series. Houston dropped to 40-44.
The Astros totaled five hits, just one for extra bases, in their seventh shutout loss of the season. Trailing by eight runs after four innings made any signs of life seem moot.
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Kerry Carpenter, Colt Keith and James Outman all struck home runs against Arrighetti, whose reversal in June has been dramatic. Arrighetti posted a 0.93 ERA in five starts in May as he was named AL pitcher of the month. He has a 9.00 ERA in five starts this month. The Astros have lost each of Arrighetti’s last three starts after winning nine of his first 10 outings this season.
Nate Pearson worked three innings in relief after Arrighetti, bearing the brunt for a short-handed Astros bullpen. Pearson threw 48 pitches but allowed just one hit. Bryan Abreu, reinstated from the restricted list on Thursday, contributed an inning. Center fielder Jake Meyers pitched the bottom of the eighth for the Astros and retired all three hitters he faced.
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Arrighetti derails early
Arrighetti opened with two scoreless innings, working around two walks in the second. He recorded just three more outs while allowing eight runs. Eight of his final 11 batters reached base safely.
“Just command wasn’t quite there today,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “Started throwing strikes, a lot of first-pitch strikes in the first two innings, and then after that just kind of fell behind some of those hitters and left some pitches kind of in the heart of the plate.”
A leadoff walk to Outman, the No. 9 hitter, began the third inning. Kevin McGonigle’s single sent Outman to third. Arrighetti struck out Dillon Dingler with McGonigle running. Catcher Yainer Diaz sailed his throw badly to second base, allowing Outman to score.
Carpenter then crushed a 3-1 fastball into the right-field seats. Arrighetti struck out his next two batters, but he ended the third inning at 73 pitches. He returned for the fourth but did not record another out.
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Keith turned on a cutter, pulling a fly ball that clanked off the foul pole for a homer. A walk and a single flared by Matt Vierling on a two-strike curveball brought up Outman, who sent a 90.5 mph four-seamer 407 feet to right field, giving Detroit a seven-run lead.
“My stuff’s fine – I wouldn’t say really good today,” Arrighetti said. “I still struck out seven people so I feel like I put away some guys. I just didn’t get to two strikes with five hitters that I ended up putting on first base, so that makes it hard to pitch when you walk five people.”
With effects lingering from a series in Toronto that taxed the Astros’ bullpen, Arrighetti stayed in to face McGonigle for a third time. A walk, his fifth of the evening, ended his outing. McGonigle would score on a single by Dingler, the final run on Arrighetti’s ledger.
Eight earned runs are the most Arrighetti has allowed in a major-league outing. Arrighetti owned a 1.34 ERA through his first eight starts for Houston this season. He has a 9.00 ERA in his last five outings.
Montero mutes Astros lineup
For a second straight game, a right-handed Tigers starter subdued Houston’s offense. Troy Melton took a perfect game bid into the sixth inning Thursday before allowing a solo home run. Montero allowed more baserunners but held Houston scoreless for seven strong frames.
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“Throws strikes, both sides of the plate, sinker was pounding our hitters in and out pretty good,” Espada said. “Pretty consistent the whole night. He works fast. We just couldn’t get much going offensively.”
The Astros did not put a man in scoring position until the sixth inning. Their lone baserunner in the first three innings reached on an error. Montero promptly erased him by jamming Jose Altuve on a sinker to induce a double-play grounder.
Isaac Paredes’ bloop single in the fourth gave Houston its first hit. Altuve singled to begin the fifth inning and was erased on another double play. Montero issued his first walk in the sixth. Jeremy Peña singled to move Taylor Trammell into maiden territory at second base.
Montero met Yordan Alvarez head-on, throwing him four-seamers and sinkers. Alvarez tipped a sinker at 95.2 mph for strike three. Paredes popped out. In the seventh, Yainer Diaz doubled with two outs to give the Astros their first runner at third base. Montero capped his outing with a Cam Smith groundout.
In seven innings, Montero scattered five hits, walked one batter and struck out three. He mixed five pitch types and induced an 83.1 mph average exit velocity on 22 balls put in play. The 25-year-old right-hander pared his ERA to 3.39 through 87⅔ innings this season.
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Homers hurt again
Three of five hits Arrighetti allowed cleared the fence. In his first 11 starts this season, Arrighetti allowed 11 home runs total across 63 innings. The Guardians and Tigers have combined for six home runs against Arrighetti in his last two starts.
All six of those homers were by left-handed hitters. Before his start against the Guardians, Arrighetti had not allowed a home run to a lefty this season. Four of the six have been hit against his four-seam fastball including the Carpenter and Outman blasts.
One silver lining of Arrighetti’s recent stretch was a reduction in walks. That issue returned in Detroit. His five walks tied a season high. The Tigers let him labor, swinging at 33 of 93 pitches he threw and chasing at just a 22% rate, per Statcast.
Arrighetti induced 13 whiffs and recorded seven of nine outs by strikeout. But the walks created traffic ahead of damaging contact.