The Houston Astros combined for a dominant no-hitter Monday night, shutting out the Texas Rangers 9-0 in Arlington behind a standout performance from rookie pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
Imai Bounces Back After Shaky Start
Imai struggled early, walking three of the first four batters he faced, but quickly settled in and delivered six hitless innings. The Japanese right-hander finished with two strikeouts and 97 pitches in his strongest MLB outing so far.
Reliever Steven Okert handled the seventh inning before rookie Alimber Santa completed the final two innings in his major league debut.
Santa retired all six batters he faced and recorded his first career strikeout on the game’s final pitch.
Historic Night for Houston
The no-hitter marked the Astros’ 17th regular-season no-hitter and the fourth combined no-hitter in franchise history. Houston has now thrown five of MLB’s last 11 no-hitters, including a combined no-hitter during the 2022 World Series.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Santa became the first pitcher since 1900 to participate in a no-hitter during his MLB debut.
Rangers Offense Continues to Struggle
Texas failed to record a hit despite striking out only four times. Injuries to key players, including Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford, have added to the Rangers’ offensive struggles this season.
Texas manager Skip Schumaker called the performance a “team thing” and said the club must find ways to improve offensively moving forward.
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