Astros' Ronel Blanco throws no-hitter vs Blue Jays in 8th career start
MLB's first no-hitter of the season comes from an unlikely source in Houston
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first Houston Astros win of the season comes with the first no-hitter of the 2024 MLB campaign.
Ronel Blanco got Toronto Blue Jays All-Star Vladimir Guerrero to ground out to second base to throw his first career no-hitter, a 105-pitch gem that led the way to a 10-0 victory.
Blanco’s only blemishes in the box score were two walks, both of which went to George Springer, who walked for the second time before Guerrero’s groundout sealed the no-hitter. He struck out seven Blue Jays as well.
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Ronel Blanco #56 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Minute Maid Park on April 01, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
What makes this even more impressive is the fact that this is just the 30-year-old Blanco’s eighth career start in the big leagues.
For the Astros, it’s the 17th no-hitter in franchise history.
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Blanco, a native of Santiago, Dominican Republic, has been in the Astros’ minor league system since 2016 as a 22-year-old. It took him awhile before he got to the majors, which came in 2022, though it wasn’t a ceremonious welcome.
Blanco owned a 7.11 ERA over seven appearances during that season, and he didn’t fare much better in 2023 with a 5.02 ERA over 17 games (seven starts).
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But after making the back end of the Astros’ rotation coming out of spring training – Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers, Luis Garcia and Jose Urqidy all started the season on the IL – Blanco certainly made the best of his first outing of the year.
Yainer Diaz (L) #21 of the Houston Astros high-fives teammate Ronel Blanco #56 after ending the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Minute Maid Park on April 01, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
It also helped that Houston’s offense made it very easy for him to focus after padding the lead early with a three-run first inning thanks to Kyle Tucker’s two-run homer, his first of the year, and Yainer Diaz’s solo shot right after him.
Jeremy Peña would homer the following inning, and add a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth as well. Jake Meyers also singled to left field in the bottom of the fourth to score Chaz McCormick.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And for good measure, Tucker hit his second homer of the season, a towering shot to right center for another two runs, which Diaz once again followed up with a solo shot, this time to right field to get double-digit runs on the board.
It was an all-around dominant win for the Astros, and one that Blanco and the franchise will never forget.
Ronel Blanco #56 of the Houston Astros reacts after the end of the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Minute Maid Park on April 01, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Astros are now 1-4 on the season following their sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees, while the Blue Jays are 2-3.
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