FILM BREAKDOWN
Mark DeRosa shares fascinating prospective on Ronel Blanco's no-hitter for Astros
Apr 2, 2024, 5:31 pm
DeRosa was impressed with Blanco's game plan. Composite Getty, Wiki Commons Image.
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.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.