The Houston Astros made history on Memorial Day, combining for the franchise’s 18th no-hitter in a dominant 9-0 victory over the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Starter Tatsuya Imai delivered six hitless innings before Steven Okert and rookie Alimber Santa completed the first MLB no-hitter since September 2024.
After the game, Astros manager Joe Espada praised his pitching staff for battling through an uneven start and maintaining control throughout the night. “Proud of our pitching,” Espada said, according to MLB.com. “We’ve been grinding, man, and our guys went out there and competed. That first inning, you would never have thought that was going to be the outcome of the game, but I tip my hat to Imai. He continued to pitch, he continued to compete.”
The no-hitter marked the fifth combined no-hitter in Astros history and the first for the organization since Ronel Blanco’s no-hit performance against the Blue Jays in April 2024, all coming after the Astros received a major season‑ending Carlos Correa injury update earlier in the month.
Imai delivers breakthrough outing for Astros
Imai entered the game with an 8.31 ERA and had struggled for consistency during the early portion of his first MLB season after arriving from Japan on a three-year deal during the offseason.
The right-hander immediately faced trouble Monday, walking the first two batters of the game before settling in and retiring 15 of the final 17 hitters he faced. He finished with six hitless innings while relying heavily on his fastball and slider combination.
Houston’s defense also played a major role, including standout plays from Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers that helped preserve the no-hit bid deep into the game.
Santa caps historic debut for Houston
The Astros turned to 23-year-old rookie Alimber Santa for the final two innings in his major league debut, and the Dominican right-hander delivered six crucial outs to secure the historic finish.
Santa struck out Brandon Nimmo looking for the final out before Astros players stormed the field in celebration. The rookie later admitted he never imagined finishing a no-hitter in his MLB debut.
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Meanwhile, Houston’s offense provided steady support behind the pitching effort, highlighted by home runs from Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker as the Astros extended their winning streak to four games.
