CHICAGO (Interstat) — Spencer Arrighetti tossed five shutout innings, scattering two hits and striking out five, as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. Arrighetti improved to 6-1. Christian Vázquez went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs, and Brice Matthews and Zach Cole each drove in a run. Houston scored once in the third, twice in the fourth and once in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer in the sixth for the Cubs, who managed only four hits. Jameson Taillon (2-4) allowed four runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. Bryan King notched his fifth save with 1 1/3 perfect innings. Attendance was 37,332. Time of game was 2:57. Houston improved to 21-31. The Cubs dropped to 29-22.

CHICAGO (Interstat) — Spencer Arrighetti pitched into the sixth inning, Christian Vázquez drove in two runs and the Houston Astros defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field, snapping a modest two-game losing streak while dealing the Cubs a fourth consecutive defeat. Arrighetti (6-1) allowed two runs on four hits over six innings, striking out five and walking three. He escaped an early jam in the third inning when the Cubs loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, a hit batter and another hit batter, but Arrighetti struck out Ian Happ, got Seiya Suzuki to pop out on the infield fly rule and induced a groundout from Michael Conforto to keep the game scoreless. Bryan King worked a perfect ninth inning, striking out one, to earn his fifth save. Jameson Taillon (2-4) took the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. He walked one and struck out four. Houston took the lead in the third inning when Vázquez led off with a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to left-center field. The Astros padded the advantage in the fourth. Christian Walker led off with a single, Braden Shewmake walked and Cam Smith singled to load the bases with no outs. Zach Cole then grounded into a force out that scored Walker, and Vázquez followed with a two-out single to right field that brought home Shewmake, making it 3-0. The Astros added another run in the fifth. Isaac Paredes singled, Yordan Alvarez singled to put runners at first and second, and after a flyout and a force out, Brice Matthews ripped a sharp line drive to center field that scored Paredes, stretching the lead to 4-0. Chicago got on the board in the sixth inning. Miguel Amaya led off with a single to center field, and one out later, Pete Crow-Armstrong launched a two-run homer to right field, his sixth of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Crow-Armstrong also doubled earlier in the game. The Cubs threatened again in the eighth inning. Carson Kelly was hit by a pitch from left-hander Steven Okert, and Crow-Armstrong walked. After a pitching change, Dansby Swanson reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jeremy Peña, loading the bases with one out. But Nico Hoerner grounded into a force out at second base, with shortstop Brice Matthews relaying to first to end the inning. Enyel De Los Santos, who relieved Okert, retired the final two batters of the inning and struck out one in 1⅔ shutout innings. Bryan Abreu also contributed ⅔ of a scoreless frame. The Astros had opportunities to add insurance in the ninth inning but failed to score. With two outs, Paredes walked and Alvarez walked, but Walker struck out swinging to end the inning. King then retired the Cubs in order in the bottom half, sealing the win. Key offensive performances for Houston included Vázquez, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Matthews, batting as a pinch hitter and then playing second base, went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Paredes finished 1-for-4 with a walk, while Peña singled in his first at-bat and finished 1-for-5. Jake Meyers singled and scored a run. For Chicago, Crow-Armstrong had the two-run homer and a double, while Amaya singled. The Cubs managed only four hits overall. The Astros improved to 21-31, while the Cubs fell to 29-22. Attendance was announced as 37,332. The game lasted 2 hours, 57 minutes. Houston had lost two of three in Minnesota earlier in the week, including a 4-1 defeat Wednesday, after splitting a weekend series with Texas. The Cubs entered on a three-game losing streak after being swept at home by Milwaukee. The Astros will return to Wrigley Field on Saturday for the second game of the three-game series, with first pitch scheduled for the afternoon. The Cubs will then travel to Pittsburgh for a four-game series beginning Monday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Houston Astros 4, Chicago Cubs 2, matching the actual outcome. The Cubs had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5 and a 63.50 percent win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system. The total score of 6 went over the over/under line of 7.

PREVIEW: Astros at Cubs CHICAGO (Interstat) — The Houston Astros visit the Chicago Cubs on Friday, May 22, 2026, for a matinee at Wrigley Field. First pitch is scheduled for the afternoon at the iconic ballpark, where the forecast calls for 57-degree Fahrenheit temperatures and cloudy skies. Houston (20-31) enters the game having lost four of its last five, including a 4-1 defeat Wednesday at Minnesota. The Astros’ offense has struggled to generate consistent run support. Chicago (29-21) sits atop the NL Central standings but has dropped four straight, most recently a 5-0 shutout loss Wednesday against Milwaukee. The pitching matchup carries some uncertainty. Houston’s listed probable pitcher is Jameson Taillon (2-3, 4.10 ERA), but the Astros also have listed Spencer Arrighetti (5-1, 2.85 ERA) as a probable. It is unclear which arm will take the mound first. The Cubs counter with a bullpen game headlined by right-hander Trent Thornton (1-0, 3.38 ERA). Players to watch: For Houston, right-hander Mike Burrows is slated for a relief role. Burrows (0-4, 5.91 ERA) last pitched Wednesday at Minnesota, allowing four earned runs on six hits over six innings in a loss. In his previous start May 14 against Seattle, he surrendered seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He did toss seven shutout innings May 8 at Cincinnati. For Chicago, Thornton has been effective in recent outings. He threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings Wednesday against Milwaukee, striking out two. Over his last three appearances covering three innings, Thornton has allowed two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts. Game notes: The Cubs are installed as pregame favorites with a -1.5 run line. The over/under is set at 7 runs. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 4-2 win for the Astros. Houston’s next series continues with games Saturday and Sunday at Wrigley Field, then a five-game road set at Texas beginning Monday. Chicago hosts Houston again Saturday and Sunday before traveling to Pittsburgh for a four-game series starting Monday.