MLB: Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco ejected for foreign substance in glove

Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco was ejected for foreign substance in glove during the 2-1 win against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday (May 14). Blanco's glove was checked by the third base umpire Laz Diaz before the start of fourth inning. The umpires seized his glove and sent Blanco back to the bullpen.

The pitcher kept pleading his case and innocence. Astros manager Joe Espada said his view made it seem rosin mixed with the sweat in Blanco's glove. The mixture, however, as found in the non-pitching hand, which is illegal and eventually led to Blanco's ejection.

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"It was probably rosin I put on my left arm," Blanco also said, via The Athletic. "Maybe cause of the sweat, it got into the glove and that's what they maybe found."

The first base umpire Erich Bacchus, after the game, said that they haven't found such sticky stuff which was found in Blanco's glove anywhere else. In fact, "it was the stickiest stuff I've felt on a glove since we've been doing this for a few years now," he said.

Earlier in the season, Blanco delivered a no-hitter on April 1 to start the season. That remains the only no-hitter in the season so far. It was Blanco's eight career start during which he led Astros to 10-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The dominance continued for him in the next few outings as well as he registered 44 outs without allowing a single hit in 14 straight innings - this is the best start by a pitcher since 1961.

As for the Astros, they currently are 17-25 after losing eight from their first 10 games of the season. They have, however, bounced back, winning five of their last six games including a 9-2 win against the Athletics on Monday (May 13).