Blanco becomes latest exhibit of Houston's rotation depth

TORONTO -- The Astros have one of the best 1-2 starting rotation combinations in the Major Leagues with left-hander Framber Valdez and right-hander Cristian Javier, who are a combined 13-5 with a 2.48 ERA. Of Houston’s 36 wins this year, 17 have come when either Valdez or Javier have started the game.

In games in which anyone not named Valdez or Javier starts, the Astros are 19-19, which includes Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre that was over in two hours, three minutes -- Houston’s shortest game of the year. Astros starter Ronel Blanco gave up three hits, including a pair of solo homers, and left the game after six innings with the scored tied.

Right-hander Hector Neris, who relieved Blanco to start the seventh, saw his 16 2/3-inning scoreless streak ended when a leadoff walk to Daulton Varsho led to a run. Varsho walked on a pitch timer violation when Neris tried to step off the rubber before throwing a 3-2 pitch, and the Astros couldn’t capitalize on a leadoff double by Mauricio Dubón in the ninth despite having Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker following him.

“That’s who you want up there,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We just didn’t get it done. The guy [Kevin Kiermaier] made a great play in center field to save the tying run [on a line drive by Alvarez]. That was a tough one to lose.”

The Astros’ pitching depth has been tested in the first trimester of the season, with Lance McCullers Jr. suffering a forearm injury in February and having a setback last month. He’s yet to pitch in 2023. Then, Houston lost starting pitchers José Urquidy (shoulder) and Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery) to injury in consecutive games a month into the season.

Inserting rookie right-hander Hunter Brown into the rotation in place of McCullers to start the year has worked out well, with Brown going 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 12 starts. The injuries to Urquidy and Garcia forced the Astros to call up Brandon Bielak and J.P. France from Triple-A, pushing the limits of Houston’s organizational starting pitching depth.

The Astros entered Wednesday with the lowest team ERA in the Major Leagues at 3.25 and having allowed the fewest runs at 218, thanks in part to the rotation managing to hold it together despite three significant injuries.

“I’m very happy with what our young guys are giving us,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said. “It’s been fun to watch France and Bielak and [and Blanco]."

Bielak is 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA in his six starts (the Astros are 3-3 in those games) and France is 1-1 with a 3.44 ERA in six starts (the Astros are 2-4). Blanco, called up last week when the Astros went to a six-man rotation in the midst of 17 consecutive days without a day off, has allowed four earned runs in 11 1/3 innings in his two starts.

On Wednesday, he was bitten by a pair of homers on sliders. After Alvarez’s two-run homer in the fourth gave the Astros a 2-0 lead, Bo Bichette rocketed an 0-2 slider and sent it 426 feet over the left-field wall in the bottom of the inning. Brandon Belt tied the game in the sixth with a two-out homer on a 1-1 slider.

“He gave us a great chance,” Baker said of Blanco. “He just made two mistakes. Both of them were sliders up out over the plate. … Those guys, they don’t miss them. To give up two runs in six innings against that club, he did a good job -- a very good job.”

Blanco has made the previous two Opening Day rosters as a reliever, but didn’t put up good numbers in relief. Brown championed Blanco’s transition to a starter in the spring and so far it’s paid off, especially when you consider how thin Houston’s starting pitching depth has been.

“I do feel pretty good, pretty confident, a lot better than I did before,” Blanco said. “I had more time to prepare now. I think one of things I do need to get better [at] is attacking the hitters and getting on top of the count earlier.”