Astros player throws earliest no-hitter in MLB history
Ronel Blanco, who did not make his major league debut until he was 28 years old, made history in his eighth career start, pitching a no-hitter for the Houston Astros in a 10-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1 in Houston.
Blanco, 30, was a surprise addition to the Astros rotation as this season began, necessitated by a shoulder injury to ace Justin Verlander. But he dazzled a Toronto lineup all night with a devastating change-up and finished off the gem by getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground to second base for the final out.
That play sent the Minute Maid Park crowd of 27,285 into a frenzy and finished the 17th no-hitter in franchise history, including playoffs. It was also the earliest no-hitter in Major League Baseball history, the April Fools’ Day gem besting Hideo Nomo’s 2001 no-hitter for Boston by three days.
And it capped an epic week for Blanco, who spent the morning of March 26 witnessing the birth of his second child, a girl, and then in the afternoon had a dominant exhibition start for Houston against their Class AAA club – a 10strikeout outing that nailed down a roster spot.
Safe to say he made the most of his opening.
Blanco struck out seven and walked just two in the game, daring the Blue Jays to offer at his change-up by throwing it 36% of the time. The Blue Jays were not up to the task, and Blanco completed the shutout in 105 pitches.
Meanwhile, Kyle Tucker hit two homers as Houston won its first game in five tries this season after dropping four in a row to the New York Yankees.