Blanco boosts All-Star case by quieting one of MLB's top lineups

HOUSTON -- It’s gotten to the point where the Astros expect to win when right-hander Ronel Blanco takes the ball, which is the kind of vibe usually reserved for a team ace. And Blanco is pitching as much like an ace as anyone else in the Houston rotation, or maybe as much as anybody in the American League.

Blanco outdueled 2021 National League Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes by holding the potent Orioles to one run in seven innings and benefitted from three homers, including two by Chas McCormick, to send the Astros to their fourth win in a row, 5-1, on Saturday afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

“He keeps doing it,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I’m not surprised, but whenever we need a big start to pick our team up, he shows up and does what he’s been doing all year.”

Blanco (8-2) walked the first two batters he faced but quickly righted the ship and allowed four hits and only one more walk, giving up his only run on a one-out homer in the second inning to Baltimore’s Jordan Westburg. Blanco sent down 13 of the final 15 batters he faced, and relievers Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader finished off the game with perfect innings.

“The team needed it,” said Blanco, who threw seven no-hit innings against the Tigers in his prior start on Sunday. “Today, I just came with a lot more focus. Earlier in the game it wasn’t there, but I was able to make the necessary adjustments to be able to get through it.”

The Astros, who improved to 11-3 in games Blanco has started this year, moved within three games of reaching .500 (37-40). Houston is 23-15 since May 12 despite a rash of injuries to its rotation and being without slugger Kyle Tucker (right shin contusion) since June 3.

“You feel the momentum,” Espada said. “There’s some energy and a level of intensity in the dugout and the clubhouse, an urgency. It feels like it’s ‘go’ time. We have to continue to play this level of baseball.”

McCormick, who had established himself as a starter entering this season, had the breakout game he had been waiting for by going 3-for-3 with his second and third homers of the season. He hit a long blast to left field in the fifth off Burnes that had an exit velocity of 110.2 mph -- the hardest-hit ball in play of his career. McCormick then homered to the opposite field off reliever Bryan Baker in the eighth for his fifth career two-homer game.

“I need a game like today,” McCormick said. “I felt good. I’ve just been working hard and, obviously, I know I’ve been struggling. I was due, and I hope I can keep this momentum going forward.”

McCormick is at his best when he’s hitting the ball to right field with authority, which he did in the eighth. He said he was missing too many pitches this season and came to the park Saturday determined to seize his opportunities.

“I was like, ‘Don't miss my pitch, don’t foul it off,’” McCormick said. “In the big leagues, you get one pitch to hit, basically. I came ready to go today, and I was happy to help the team win.”

The Orioles had won each of Burnes’ previous six starts, during which the ace pitcher was 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA. But this day belonged to Blanco, a breakout performer this year who threw a no-hitter in his first start of the season April 1 and has a very strong All-Star case.

“He's got a really good changeup and a sneaky fastball that he commands really well,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “We just had a tough time getting anything going offensively. After the first couple hitters, he kind of settled in there with his command. We did hit some balls hard, we just didn't find many holes today. And he's been doing what he's been doing all year -- it's pitching really well. So just couldn't get anything going offensively against him.”

Now the Astros will give the ball to lefty Framber Valdez on Sunday to try to sweep one of the best teams in the AL and continue their climb back to .500 and an eighth consecutive postseason berth.

“We’re trying to win series, and this is three series in a row that we’ve won,” Espada said. “We need to go out there tomorrow and try to get a sweep.”