The Houston Astros celebrated their fourth consecutive win with a no-hit shutout against the Texas Rangers on Monday. Starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai threw for six innings, while relievers Steven Okert and Alimber Santa completed the game without allowing a hit.
This 9-0 triumph marked the first no-hitter in Major League Baseball since September 2024, when Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers combined for a 12-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The latest complete-game no-hitter was pitched by Blake Snell in August 2024, against the Cincinnati Reds.
Imai contributed to the 17th regular season no-hitter in Astros history and the fourth achieved through a combined effort. The Astros also made headlines in the 2022 World Series by throwing a no-hitter with four pitchers against Philadelphia. Imai managed 16 outs in six innings, despite walking three of his first four batters. A double play in the first inning helped him regain control.
Okert took over in the seventh inning, and Santa, making his major league debut, retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings. His final pitch, resulting in a strikeout of Brandon Nimmo, concluded the game after dealing with an ABS challenge that confirmed the call.
This performance marked the sixth time the Rangers were held hitless in a game, with the last occurrence being Corey Kluber’s no-hitter for the New York Yankees on May 19, 2021.
Imai, 28 years old, is in his first major league season after joining the Astros from Japan. He signed a three-year contract worth $54 million in January. Previously, Imai was a three-time All-Star during his eight seasons in Japan, recording a 10-5 win-loss record and a 1.92 ERA in the previous season with the Seibu Lions of the Pacific League.
The Associated Press provided additional information for this report.
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