ASTROS' UNLIKELY ACE
How Ronel Blanco's dominance offers glimmer of hope in Astros' rocky start
Apr 8, 2024, 2:18 pm
Ronel Blanco looks like the real deal after two starts. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.
Ronel Blanco's brilliant start to the season is about the only thing going right for the Houston Astros.
Blanco threw 2024's first no-hitter Monday night against Toronto, then made it to the sixth against Texas on Sunday before allowing a hit. The problem for the Astros is what's happened on days Blanco didn't pitch. They have only one victory aside from his two starts.
After seven straight AL Championship Series appearances, Houston is considered a World Series contender again this year. And the Astros' record of 3-7 isn't worth panicking about. They've had a tough schedule, facing the Yankees, Blue Jays and Rangers, and their run differential of minus-4 isn't awful.
Houston has been without Justin Verlander, currently on a rehab assignment working his way back from shoulder issues. Injuries to Verlander and José Urquidy helped Blanco get a spot in the rotation, and he's certainly made a positive contribution so far. Christian Javier has also made two scoreless starts, and Framber Valdez has been solid.
The bullpen's been a different story. Houston relievers are 0-5 with 6.89 ERA, with newcomer Josh Hader taking a couple of the losses.
CENTRAL SURPRISES
It's easy to overlook the AL and NL Central, but Pittsburgh is tied for the best record in baseball at 8-2. The Pirates started 20-8 last year, then quickly sank back under .500 and finished 10 games under. So some skepticism is warranted, and the schedule was favorable early with series against Miami and Washington.
But then Pittsburgh took two of three from Baltimore, with both wins coming in walk-off fashion. Rookie Jared Jones has struck out 17 in 11 2/3 innings for the Pirates in two starts.
Just behind the Pirates at 6-2 are the Milwaukee Brewers, whose starters are 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA after the team traded Corbin Burnes in the offseason.
In the AL Central, Cleveland (7-2) is averaging nearly six runs a game, while Kansas City (6-4) has allowed only 25 in 10 games. Detroit (6-3) is right there near the top of the division as well.
TRIVIA TIME
When is the last time the Pirates won a postseason series?
LINE OF THE WEEK
Blanco's no-hitter was the earliest in major league history by date, beating the previous record of April 4 by three days. He struck out seven and walked two in his eighth career start.
It's the lone complete game in the big leagues so far this season.
COMEBACK OF THE WEEK
Spencer Strider's troublesome elbow is a big concern for the Atlanta Braves, but on the field so far, they're the only team above .500 in the NL East. They also have the best run differential in the National League.
On Saturday, Atlanta allowed six runs in the top of the first inning, and when Arizona took an 8-2 lead in the fifth, the Braves had just a 2.2% chance to win according to Baseball Savant.
Atlanta cut the lead in half quickly on Marcell Ozuna's three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth. Then the Braves scored twice in the seventh and twice in the eighth to win 9-8.
TRIVIA ANSWER
Pittsburgh beat Baltimore in seven games in the 1979 World Series, the Pirates' second championship of the decade. Since then, they've lost in the NL Championship Series in 1990, 1991 and 1992 and in the Division Series in 2013. They did win a one-game wild card round in 2013.
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The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!