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Houston Astros pitcher Alimber Santa, left, reacts with catcher Christian V\u00e1zquez after completing their team’s combine no-hitter win over the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Julio Cortez\/AP Photo\/Julio Cortez<\/p>\n
Houston Astros pitchers Alimber Santa, left, Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws to the Texas Rangers, center right, and Steven Okert, right, pose with catcher Christian V\u00b7zquez after combining for a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Julio Cortez\/AP Photo\/Julio Cortez<\/p>\n
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, center, celebrates with teammates, including pitcher Alimber Santa (72) and catcher Christian V\u00b7zquez, right, after the team combined for a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Julio Cortez\/AP Photo\/Julio Cortez<\/p>\n
Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws to the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Julio Cortez\/AP Photo\/Julio Cortez<\/p>\n
Houston Astros pitcher Alimber Santa kisses the ball after he helped his team earn a combined no-hitter during his major league debut in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas.<\/p>\n
Julio Cortez\/AP Photo\/Julio Cortez<\/p>\n
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) \u2014 The Houston Astros have pitched several combined no-hitters \u2014 even one in the World Series. This latest gem, however, might have been the biggest surprise of all.<\/p>\n
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Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai threw six spotless innings after walking three of the first four batters he faced Monday night. Steven Okert then got three outs before Alimber Santa made his major league debut and fired two perfect innings to complete the Astros’ 17th regular-season no-hitter \u2014 four of them combined efforts \u2014 in a 9-0 win over the Texas Rangers.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe first inning, you never thought that this was going to be the outcome of the game,\u201d manager Joe Espada said. \u201cImai, he continued to compete. … He continued to pound the zone, he fought through it. Six strong innings, and then the rest is history.”<\/p>\n
It was the first no-hitter in the major leagues since Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers combined for a 12-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 4, 2024. No pitcher has tossed a complete-game no-hitter since Blake Snell for the San Francisco Giants against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, 2024.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old Santa became the first pitcher since 1900 to participate in a no-hitter during his big league debut, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, there was some adrenaline,\u201d Santa said through a translator. \u201cI was aware of the no-hitter, but I was just trying to calm myself down from the bullpen.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ronel Blanco tossed the previous no-hitter for the Astros in a 10-0 victory over Toronto on April 1, 2024, which also marked Espada\u2019s first win as manager. In fact, Houston has authored three of the past seven and five of the last 11 major league no-hitters \u2014 including one in the 2022 World Series when four pitchers combined against Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
Okert worked the seventh after Imai got 16 outs over the last 16 batters he faced. He benefited from a double play in the first, then settled into a groove after issuing his third walk.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring pregame, our focus was attacking the zone,\u201d Imai said through a translator. \u201cBut in the first inning, I felt unbalanced, the timing was off. But after that inning, I was able to adjust the timing, all the rhythm and stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Santa entered in the eighth and retired all six batters he faced. His 24th pitch was a called third strike against Brandon Nimmo, ending the game with his first career strikeout. That was confirmed after an ABS challenge by Nimmo of the final pitch.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI wasn’t sure,\u201d Santa said, but catcher Christian V\u00e1zquez was already on the mound telling him, \u201c`Hey stud, that’s a strike.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Texas was held without a hit for the sixth time, and third at home since moving into Globe Life Field in 2020. The previous one was Corey Kluber’s no-hitter for the New York Yankees on May 19, 2021, about six weeks after San Diego right-hander Joe Musgrove threw one in Texas for his hometown team on April 9.<\/p>\n
These Rangers, hitting .232 with 201 runs through 53 games, have two of their best players on the injured list in two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager (lower back inflammation) and outfielder Wyatt Langford (right forearm strain). Plus, third baseman Josh Jung (.302 batting average) missed his second game in a row because of left shoulder soreness.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you get no-hit, it\u2019s a team thing,\u201d first-year Texas manager Skip Schumaker said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just the players who feel it, all of us feel it. … I have to find different ways to message on the offensive side to get this team going, to get this offense going.”<\/p>\n
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The Rangers struck out only four times, a night after whiffing 16 times in a 2-1 loss to the Angels.<\/p>\n
Imai\u2019s fourth walk was to Nimmo leading off the fourth inning, but Ezequiel Duran then grounded into a double play.<\/p>\n
Imai (2-2) threw 57 of his 97 pitches for strikes. He struck out two.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old Imai, who said his only previous no-hitter came in middle school, is in his first big league season after coming over from Japan. He was 1-2 with an 8.31 ERA in his first five starts for Houston.<\/p>\n
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Imai agreed in January to a $54 million, three-year contract. He was a three-time All-Star during eight seasons in Japan, and went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA last season for the Pacific League\u2019s Seibu Lions.<\/p>\n
Joc Pederson was retired on a nifty play in the third when Astros shortstop Jeremy Pe\u00f1a made a backhanded stop on a hard one-hopper<\/a> and a twisting throw to first. Justin Foscue and Danny Jansen had deep flyouts into the left-center gap in the Texas fifth.<\/p>\n Okert walked Nimmo leading off the seventh before retiring the next three batters.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n