Astros' Imai, 2 relievers combine to no-hit Rangers

Three Houston Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the Texas Rangers during a 9-0 beatdown of their in-state rivals at Globe Life Field.

Starter Tatsuya Imai led the way with six no-hit frames. Steven Okert followed with a no-hit seventh inning, and Alimber Santa - making his major-league debut - closed it out with two perfect innings. Santa secured the combined no-no by striking out Brandon Nimmo. It was also his first career strikeout.

It's the first no-hitter in Major League Baseball since a combined Chicago Cubs effort on Sept. 4, 2024.

It wasn't the smoothest start for Imai, who walked four and struck out just two on 97 pitches during his six innings of work. However, three of those walks came during the first inning, and he settled down over his final five frames before turning it over to the bullpen.

"We've been grinding, man," manager Joe Espada told reporters postgame. "Our guys went out there and competed. That first inning, you would've never thought that that was going to be the outcome of the game, but I tip my hat to Imai. He pitched, he continued to compete, he got two big double plays, eight ground-ball outs. He continued to pound the zone, he fought through it ... and then the rest is history."

Okert struck out one and walked one in the seventh. That left Santa, who was called up Saturday, to finish it off. The 23-year-old was the only one of the three Astros pitchers to not allow a baserunner.

Santa is just the second pitcher to be part of a no-hitter in his MLB debut, joining the Reds' Bumpus Jones, who threw a complete-game no-no on Oct. 15, 1892, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

"It's a big night for him and his family," Espada said of Santa. "So proud of him. I've seen this kid for years, and just to have this moment is so huge for the organization and for him."

This is the 18th no-hitter in Astros history, and 17th in the regular season. That's by far the most of any franchise that began play in the expansion era (since 1961; the Astros were established in 1962), and they're tied with the Cubs, Red Sox, and Giants for third all time.

It's also the fifth combined no-no thrown by the Astros, and first since four Houston pitchers did it in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series. Houston is the only franchise to have thrown more than two combined no-hitters, per ESPN Insights.

Imai, a longtime star in his native Japan who joined the Astros as a free agent this past winter, has struggled during his transition to the majors. He came into Monday sporting an 8.31 ERA, and had allowed at least three runs in all but one of his first five MLB starts.

Amazingly, this is the second time in as many years that Imai's started a combined no-hitter. Last April, while pitching for the Seibu Lions of NPB, he threw eight no-hit innings as part of a combined effort that Seibu won 2-1, according to NoNoHitters.com.

The trio of Houston pitchers were given plenty of help from their team's offense. Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker both homered, while Walker drove in three runs. Every Astros position player in the starting lineup save for Isaac Paredes had at least one hit.

For the Rangers, this marks the seventh time they've been no-hit, and the first time they've been victims of a combined effort.