Fastball

Houston Astros, Ronel Blanco Make Plenty of History With No-Hitter vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Ronel Blanco went the distance Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, making history while providing the Houston Astros with yet another no-hitter.

Sam Connon

Apr 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) reacts after throwing a no-hitter.
Apr 1, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) reacts after throwing a no-hitter. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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As is typically the case with a no-hitter, the gem Houston Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco tossed against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night was historic on multiple levels.

Blanco dominated Toronto's entire lineup, at one point retiring 26 batters in a row. After walking George Springer on the first at-bat of the night, Blanco didn't allow another baserunner until Springer drew a second base on balls with two outs in the ninth.

Regardless, Blanco was able to close things out and earn his first career no-hitter in the process.

Blanco, as pointed out by MLB Stats, Blanco is the 10th Dominican-born player to throw a no-hitter.

Monday marked the 30-year-old Blanco's eighth career big league start. He didn't make his MLB debut until he was 28 years old in 2022, and he didn't make his first start until 2023.

On top of the fact that it came so early in Blanco's MLB career, OptaSTATS is reporting that Monday's no-hitter came earlier on the calendar than any other no-hitter in league history. Before Blanco, no one had ever thrown a no-hitter prior to April 4.

Coming off Framber Valdez's no-hitter in 2023 and their two combined no-hitters in 2022, there have now been three seasons in a row that have featured an Astros no-no.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, the Astros are now the seventh team to accomplish that feat. The San Francisco Giants – from 2012 to 2015 – and Los Angeles Dodgers – from 1962 to 1965 – share the record with four such seasons in a row.

Since the Astros' inception in 1962, the team has thrown 16 regular season no-hitters. While that ranks seventh all-time, it is the most by any franchise over the last 62 years, according to MLB Stats.

The Dodgers are the next closest during that span with 13, per Langs.

The Astros were 0-4 on the season prior to Monday's 10-0 victory, making it a much-needed win, even beyond Blanco's no-hitter.

Houston became the fourth team to get their first win of the season in the same game they threw a no-hitter. As Langs reported, Hideo Nomo and the Boston Red Sox were the last to do so back in 2001, with the previous occurrences coming in 1972 and 1940.

Per Langs, Joe Espada is the first manager in MLB history to get his first win in a no-hitter. That includes a manager's first win with a new team or their first win as an MLB manager, and Espada accomplished both feats in one fell swoop.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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