The Houston Astros just can’t escape cheating allegations. From 2017’s World Series fiasco to now, multiple controversies have surrounded them. And now with the Astronauts floundering in the league, the last thing they need is another asterisk attached to their name. However, Ronel Blanco’s sticky glove may have done just that.

Things were going quite well for the Astros against the Oakland Athletics. It looked like the team was finally coming back to their previous level. But then the umpires noticed something before the start of the fourth inning. Suddenly Ronel Blanco, who until now was having a great season, was in their crosshair. The reason? His glove, they suspected, had something unusual in it. So the umpires decided to inspect the Astros pitcher’s equipment.

That’s when the third base umpire Laz Diaz felt something stick in his glove. While it was unclear immediately what it was, the first base umpire Erich Bacchus said, “It was the stickiest stuff I’ve felt on a glove since we’ve been doing this for a few years now.” Bacchus was referring to the MLB’s cracking down on foreign substances since the 2021 season. The incident, on the other hand, led to the immediate ejection of Blanco from the field. 

The pitcher pleaded his case to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. He noted that maybe it was rosin he put on his left arm. And because of sweat, it got into his gloves. Having rosin on your non-pitching hand has been made illegal by the league. As a result, Ronel Blanco might be looking at a 10-game suspension here. This could be a huge setback for the pitcher who threw this season’s first no-hitter on April 1. 

After the incident, fans are now suspecting Blanco’s entire run so far. The Astros’ pitcher is currently pitching with a great 2.09 ERA but this scandal may have dampened the sentiment. More than that, it has once again placed the Houston Astros at the center of another cheating scandal.

Fans pull out their pitchforks against the Houston Astros and Ronel Blanco 

The Astros already have a huge asterisk attached to their name due to the 2017 sign-stealing fiasco. Now this situation has once again given fans the ammunition to go against them. “Astros being Astros,” commented a user. Certainly that has been the sentiment throughout this ordeal. Instead of being surprised, the fans call this an expected act by the Astros.

“Never ends with that organization. They will forever be cheats,” said another fan. Ronel Blanco’s glove has allowed rival fans to troll the Astros. “Generational meme,” said a fan about the Astros. Considering how nearly every year the Astronauts find themselves here, the user might have a point here.

“Void his no-hitter against the Blue Jays,” demanded a user on X. That might be a bit of an overreaction but the fans really are furious. “I rather my team suck than cheat,” a rival fan said. Maybe the moral high ground does have a good view. Interestingly, a fan responded to this comment with “They doing both tho,” This situation has really given rival fans a chance to go on an offense against the Astros. Now the question remains – was Blanco cheating or was it a mistake?