Houston Astros fans on Monday got treated to some early-season excitement courtesy of pitcher Ronel Blanco and play-by-play announcer Todd Kalas.
Blanco recorded a no-hitter in a 10-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The 30-year-old etched his name in Astros history in just the eighth start of his career.
Kalas had a terrific call of the game’s final out, painting the picture perfectly for Astros fans watching from home.
“Ground ball. Dubón, throws to first. No hitter! Ronel Blanco, in his eighth career start, the 30-year-old makes magic on April Fool’s Day,” Kalas said emphatically.
In the 8th start of his career, Ronel Blanco has thrown a no-hitter! pic.twitter.com/lHxENPJ0x3
— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2024
In his previous seven starts, Blanco had never allowed fewer than two hits in a single game. He entered the contest with a career ERA of 4.78 with 59 strikeouts and a 1.52 WHIP across 58.1 innings pitched.
Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker made sure to give Blanco some early run support. The All-Star slugger mashed a 2-run homer in the Astros’ third at-bat of the contest to give Houston a 2-0 lead. Tucker led the Astros offensively with 2 home runs and 4 RBIs.
The Astros sorely needed a breakout pitching performance after they got swept by the New York Yankees in their opening series. The 10 runs they plated on Monday were just one shy of their 11-run total across four games against the Yankees.
