Blanco follows no-hitter with six 1-hit innings as Astros beat Rangers 3-1

In a remarkable follow-up to his historic no-hitter, Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco continued his dominant performance against the Texas Rangers on the mound on April 22, 2023. Six nights after throwing a no-hitter at Minute Maid Park against the Toronto Blue Jays in his first start of the season, Blanco once again dazzled the opposition with one-hit ball over six scoreless innings.

The no-hitter, which marked Blanco's first career complete game and shutout, had left baseball fans in awe. However, the right-handed pitcher was far from finished. In this game against the World Series champion Rangers, he held them hitless until Adolis García grounded a clean single up the middle with two outs in the sixth inning.

Blanco's impressive outing came after Dane Dunning, the Texas starter, had retired the first two batters in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and a full count on him, Blanco seized the opportunity to take control of the game. He launched a towering three-run homer to deep left field, extending the Astros' lead to 3-0.

Blanco's homer was a pivotal moment in the game, as it not only provided some much-needed offense but also seemed to deflate the Rangers' momentum. After allowing the single to García in the sixth, Blanco retired Evan Carter on an inning-ending fly ball before being lifted after throwing 90 pitches.

The Astros' bullpen took it from there, securing the victory for Blanco and the team. With this win, Houston improved their record to 14-8, while the Rangers fell to 10-12. The performance by Blanco further solidified his status as a rising star in Major League Baseball and left fans eagerly anticipating his next start.