Ronel Blanco had a good start and Yordan Álvarez hit two home runs, leading the Astros’ victory over the Rockies at the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium.
MEXICO CITY — Dominican pitcher Ronel Blanco had another very good start, Cuban Yordan Álvarez hit two huge home runs to lead a 15-hit attack and the Houston Astros crushed the Colorado Rockies 12-4, on Saturday, in Mexico City , to break a five-game losing streak.
Houston, which swept the Los Angeles Angels in two games in Monterrey in May 2019, is undefeated (3-0) playing official games in Mexico. Colorado, which beat the San Diego Padres in Monterrey in the opening game of the 1999 season, went to 1-1 in Mexico.
The Astros have scored 10 or more runs in each of the three games they have played in Mexico. Colorado has trailed in its first 27 games of the season.
Blanco (3-0, 1.65) allowed two runs and four hits, walked two and struck out eight batters in 5.2 innings in the hitting paradise that is the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium, located 7,300 feet above sea level. His opponent, Cal Quantrill (0-3, 5.34) was tagged for six runs in five innings.
The Dominican began the season with four consecutive quality outings (six or more innings of three or fewer earned runs), something that an Astros pitcher had not achieved since 2019 (Gerrit Cole) and now has 30 strikeouts and the batting average in against lowest in the American League (.144) in 32.2 innings.
In his debut he pitched the first no-hitter and no-run game of the season and in his second appearance he entered the sixth inning without allowing a hit. In total, the right-hander managed 44 outs before giving up the first hit, the most by batters retired starting a season since 1961.
The Rockies scored their two runs in the first inning against Blanco. Venezuelan shortstop Ezequiel Tovar singled and after one out, third baseman Ryan McMahon hit a home run, the second the Astros starter has allowed this season.
Dominican catcher Yainer Diaz singled and scored on a double by outfielder Trey Cabagge to give Houston its first run, in the second inning. In the third, Álvarez hit a two-run homer and outfielder Kyle Tucker followed with a solo shot against Quantrill to give Houston a 4-2 lead.
Álvarez is the sixth major league player with a multiple home run game in Mexico, along with Manny Machado (2023), Marcell Ozuna (2019), Jonathan Lucroy (2019), Alex Bregman (2019) and Ken Caminiti (nineteen ninety six).
Honduran Mauricio Dubon drove in Díaz during a two-run rally in the sixth and Cuban first baseman José Abreu had a hit that drove in one of Houston’s two runs in the eighth.
Álvarez hit the ball out of the park for the second time in the afternoon at the top of the ninth inning. Like the first, the hit traveled 461 feet through right field. In total, Houston’s designated hitter went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Díaz went 3 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored and Abreu and Dubón each added two hits and two RBIs.
The Rockies scored the last two runs of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The second game of the Mexico Series is scheduled for Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET, (ESPN). Dominican left-hander Framber Valdez, returning from the injured list, will make his third start of the season, against left-hander Austin Gomber.
