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Ronel Blanco's outing could be death knell for Justin Verlander's playoff roster spot
Ronel Blanco has been the Astros' biggest surprise this season.
The Houston Astros took care of business over the weekend with a sweep of the hapless Los Angeles Angels. Houston needed that after losing six of their last nine games heading into their three-game tilt with LA.
All three Houston starters took home the W over the weekend, but Ronel Blanco's performance on Sunday may have been the best. The right-hander went six strong, allowed just four hits and struck out five batters while keeping the scoreboard clean. Los Angeles didn't plate a run until Blanco left the game after throwing 92 pitches.
Justin Verlander got the win on Saturday, but the former Cy Young Award winner still looked out of sync. Verlander only managed to strike out two Angels' hitters and gave up two runs on four hits while walking a pair. Verlander's last seven starts have seen the veteran post a 7.99 ERA and 1.71 WHIP.
Ronel Blanco's outing could end Justin Verlander's chances of making the Astros playoff roster
The Astros playoff rotation is all but set; though the quicker Houston secures the AL West title, the sooner they'll be able to set the order of the rotation. But for all intents and purposes, it seems clear that Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez, and Yusei Kikuchi will be part of Houston's playoff roster. That final spot in the rotation is likely to come down to Blanco versus Verlander.
Ronel Blanco, Dirty 81mph Curveball. 😨 pic.twitter.com/pUH0tahlWR
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 15, 2024
While it's difficult to envision, given his history, Houston's best chance to win a playoff series is with Verlander off the roster. Blanco hasn't just been better of late, but throughout the entire season. Though the Houston faithful want to see Verlander return to the type of pitcher they remember from year's past, it just hasn't clicked this season.
There's two weeks remaining in the 2024 regular season, meaning that Verlander might have a couple more chances to prove that he belongs on the Astros postseason roster. However, if Blanco continues to throw up zeroes like he did on Sunday, Verlander's fate is all but sealed.
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