Mark DeRosa shares fascinating prospective on Ronel Blanco's no-hitter for Astros
FILM BREAKDOWN
02 April 2024
FILM BREAKDOWN
Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco made history on Monday night tossing his first career no-hitter. Houston hammered the Blue Jays 10-0 securing the team's first win of the season.
But what really caught MLB Network's Mark DeRosa off guard, was how much Blanco used his changeup against Toronto. Blanco rarely used his changeup last season, but added the pitch this offseason to keep hitters off balance.
Blanco has mostly relied on just two pitches (fastball, slider) over the course of his career, making it a 50/50 proposition for hitters. And not only did he add the changeup to his arsenal, he threw it more than any other pitch on Monday.
Don't miss the video above for DeRosa's in-depth breakdown of Blanco's historic night.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
The home run by Peraza.
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.