Houston pitcher Ronel Blanco continued his outstanding performance from his recent no-hitter by pitching six innings with just one hit allowed as the Astros defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Sunday night.
Blanco, who threw a no-hitter against Toronto in his first start of the season, kept the World Series champions hitless until Adolis García hit a single up the middle with two outs in the sixth inning. Blanco, who threw 90 pitches, retired the next batter and left the game.
Astros relievers Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly held the Rangers scoreless in the later innings. Josh Hader closed the game and earned his first save with the Astros on his 30th birthday.
Yordan Alvarez contributed to the Astros’ win with a three-run homer in the third inning. The victory ended the Rangers’ three-game winning streak.
Although the Astros started the season with a 3-7 record, their win against the Rangers was a positive outcome. Meanwhile, the Rangers, who had a strong start to the season with a 6-3 record, couldn’t overcome Blanco’s impressive pitching.
Despite Blanco’s dominance, the Rangers managed to avoid being shut out when García scored on a pinch-hit single in the ninth inning. However, Blanco’s performance was commendable, as he struck out four batters and walked four while allowing only one hit in six innings.
On the other side, Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning had a solid performance, striking out seven batters and walking three in 6 2/3 innings.
