Ronel Blanco fell two innings short of MLB history on Sunday.
The Houston Astros starter threw seven no-hit innings against the Detroit Tigers in a bid for his second no-hitter of the season. Astros manager Joe Espada then pulled him after 94 pitches with the no-hitter intact. The Houston bullpen allowed three hits and a run as the Astros cruised to a 4-1 win.
Only 6 MLB fields have 2 no-hitters in 1 season
Blanco previously threw the first no-hitter of the 2024 season on April 1, a 10-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. He did this after playing his first two-plus MLB seasons primarily as a reliever. He threw 103 pitches, including 75 strikeouts in the no-hitter, his first career appearance with more than six innings pitched. He has since been a fixture in Houston’s rotation and went two hitless innings on Sunday after becoming the seventh pitcher in MLB history to throw two no-hitters in one season.
Johnny Vander Meer, Allie Reynolds, Virgil Trucks, Nolan Ryan, Roy Halladay and Max Scherzer are the only pitchers in MLB history to accomplish this feat. Scherzer remains the last to throw no-hitters against the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets as a starter for the Washington Nationals in 2015.
Blanco set the tone in the first inning, with strikeouts by Matt Vierling and Riley Greene to end the inning. He was perfect for 4 2/3 innings before walking three straight in the fifth. But he got out of the bases-loaded jam by causing a flyout by Zachary McKinstry to end the inning.
He then helped his cause in the sixth with some glove work on a line drive back to the mound off Vierling’s bat for the second out of the inning.
He induced two groundouts and a flyout in the seventh, and Espada had seen enough. Reliever Ryan Pressly took the mound for the eighth inning, and Josh Hader closed out the ninth, where he allowed the only Detroit run of the day.
Why did Astros sign Blanco?
Espada cited Blanco’s pitch count for the season in his decision to withdraw him. Blancos threw six appearances with 98 or more pitches, including four with 102-plus.
Did I want him to be more efficient sooner and give him a chance? One hundred percent,” Espada said, according to the Associated Press.
Blanco told reporters that he realized he wasn’t allowed to throw nine full innings because of his pitch count.
“I threw a lot of pitches and I wouldn’t be able to finish,” Espada told reporters through an interpreter. “So I just accepted it.”
Blanco finished his day with zero hits and zero runs allowed with three walks and eight strikeouts. He threw 65 of his 94 pitches for strikes and lowered his season-long ERA to 2.43. He fell short in history, but continued an excellent first season as a regular MLB starter and Houston’s best pitcher.
