Astros cruise as Blanco makes another run at no-hit history

ARLINGTON -- The outs were piling up, and so was Ronel Blanco's pitch count. As he approached 90 pitches in the sixth inning, it was clear Blanco wasn’t going to be in a position to complete another no-hitter. Johnny Vander Meer’s place in history would remain secure.

Blanco’s place in Houston’s rotation going forward is getting more secure by the day with back-to-back terrific outings to begin the season. After throwing a no-hitter on Monday against the Blue Jays, Blanco didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning on Sunday and pitched the Astros to a 3-1 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field.

Blanco didn’t allow a hit until facing his 51st batter of the season, and the 44 outs he recorded before giving up his first hit are the most by a pitcher to begin a season in at least the expansion era (since 1961). It’s the second-longest consecutive outs streak in club history behind Mike Scott’s 51 outs during his National League Cy Young season in 1986.

“It doesn’t really surprise me,” Blanco said. “I’m a believer the hard work you do is going to pay off at some time or another, and it really doesn't surprise me. I knew this was going to come.”

Blanco, who threw 105 pitches in no-hitting Toronto in his eighth career start, carried a no-hitter in the sixth before giving up a clean single up the middle to Adolis García with two outs. Yordan Alvarez cranked a three-run homer in the third to back Blanco’s fine work and Rafael Montero, Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader closed out Houston’s first road win of 2024.

“Very important,” Alvarez said. “Obviously, it changes the mood of the team coming off those two tough losses to begin the series. Tomorrow, we have a chance to go out there and tie [the series] and leave here in a good place.”

Blanco, relying heavily on his fastball and effective changeup, wasn’t as efficient against the Rangers. He walked two batters in a 28-pitch second inning and two more in a 20-pitch fifth. Blanco started the sixth with 81 pitches and was likely working his final inning regardless of whether he gave up a hit. He finished with 90 pitches.

“He's got great stuff,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “He's obviously coming off a no-hitter and he carried that into tonight's game. He’s got a good fastball, it’s got a lot of life on it. He’s got a great changeup and slider, too. He just pitched great. He just shut us down.

“Give him credit. Pretty impressive really, the run that he's gotten on here the first two games of the season.”

In his first two starts, opposing hitters are 1-for-46 against Blanco with 11 strikeouts and six walks in 15 innings. According to Stathead, he’s the first pitcher in the modern era (since 1900) to pitch at least 15 innings and allow one hit or fewer in his first two outings of a season.

“We always knew how good he is at throwing strikes,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He’s aggressive in the zone. This guy, he’s tough. He’s not scared of challenging hitters. We knew the makeup aspect of things, but the way he’s been able to pitch and navigate tough lineups has been pretty impressive.”

Blanco began the sixth at 81 pitches and the bullpen began warming up before he even gave up his only hit. The only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters remains Vander Meer, who did it for the Reds in 1938, but Blanco came within 10 outs of joining him.

“He’s a horse, man,” Pressly said. “We thought he was going to go the whole way again. Come the sixth inning, I was like, ‘Gah, he’s going to do it again.’ It’s fun to watch him throw. I can’t say enough about how hard he works. It’s definitely paid off.”

Blanco said he wasn’t focusing on throwing another no-hitter and simply wanted to execute his pitches in the zone. He got only five whiffs from among the 35 swings that the Rangers took, and the average exit velocity was a paltry 83.3 mph. Texas couldn’t square him up.

“He’s pitching his way into establishing himself as one of the starters,” Espada said. “You get an opportunity, you take advantage of it and you run with it. He’s doing just that.”