The Houston Astros pitched a combined no-hitter in a 9-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday, marking the team’s fourth consecutive win. Tatsuya Imai started and pitched six innings before relievers Steven Okert and Alimber Santa took over to complete the feat, according to the team.
The no-hitter was the first in Major League Baseball since September 2024, when Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers combined for a 12-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The last complete-game no-hitter was thrown by Blake Snell in August 2024 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Imai, 28, is in his first MLB season after signing a three-year, $54 million deal with the Astros in January. The Japanese pitcher was a three-time All-Star during his eight seasons with the Seibu Lions in Japan, and posted a 10-5 record with a 1.92 ERA last season.
In Monday’s game, Imai pitched six innings, getting 16 outs before being replaced. Okert took over in the seventh, walking three of his first four batters but avoiding further damage after a double play. Santa made his big-league debut in the eighth, retiring all six batters he faced, including a strikeout to end the game after a challenged call was confirmed as a strike, according to the Associated Press.
The Rangers have been held hitless six times in franchise history, the first since Corey Kluber’s no-hitter for the Yankees in May 2021.
Houston’s no-hitter marks the 17th in team history, and the fourth in which multiple pitchers contributed. The Astros previously threw a combined no-hitter in the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter for more updates.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
