OAKLAND, Calif.—Ronel Blanco held the Oakland Athletics in check for seven innings in his return from a suspension and Kyle Tucker hit a two-run home run to lead the Houston Astros to a 5–2 victory on Sunday.
“Just like he did not lose a beat,” Houston Manager Joe Espada said of Blanco. “We were trying to be smart about his pitches, but he was so efficient. He was pounding the zone. His stuff was so good. It was hard to not to let him go back out there and continue to save our bullpen. ... Blanco, I can’t speak enough to how good he’s been for us.”