Ronel Blanco twirled eight impressive innings and Yainer Diaz clubbed a three-run home run as the Houston Astros claimed the rubber match of their three-game interleague series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds with a 6-0 victory on Sunday.
Blanco (3-3) produced his best start of the season, allowing just two hits and one walk while recording a career-high 11 strikeouts. His innings total was a season high, and he posted his third quality start and second in succession.
Blanco was sharp from the onset and didn’t relent. He needed only 39 pitches to complete one trip through the Reds’ lineup, which included six strikeouts. Blanco surrendered his first baserunner when TJ Friedl reached on a four-pitch walk to open the fourth. Matt McLain advanced Friedl into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Blanco kept Friedl at second with a strikeout of Elly De La Cruz before Austin Hays popped out to Isaac Paredes in foul territory.
The Reds managed their first hit against Blanco an inning later when Spencer Steer dropped a one-out double down the left field line. Blanco responded by retiring nine consecutive batters before Jose Trevino doubled to left with one out in the eighth.
Blanco capped his outing with a strikeout of Santiago Espinal to strand Trevino at third. He threw 101 pitches, 65 for strikes, and relied mostly on a four-seam fastball-slider mix.
Reds rookie right-hander Chase Petty (0-2) sidestepped a pair of baserunners in the first and second innings but couldn’t wiggle out of trouble in the third after Paredes doubled with one out and Christian Walker followed with a single. Diaz broke the scoreless tie by driving a 1-0 changeup 392 feet to left field for his fourth home run of the season and a 3-0 Astros lead.
Walker came to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs in his next two plate appearances. He delivered a sacrifice fly off reliever Brent Suter to extend the lead to 4-0 in the fourth before his two-run single off reliever Taylor Rogers pushed the Astros to a six-run lead.
Houston reliever Shawn Dubin sealed the win with a scoreless ninth.
