Astros throw first MLB no-hitter since 2024 behind Imai, Santa debut
Imai’s shaky start gave way to six scoreless innings, then Santa finished his MLB debut to seal Houston’s first no-hitter since 2024.
The Astros did not need one dominant arm to make history. They used a starter who fought his command, a middle reliever and a debuting finisher to turn a 9-0 win over Texas into a no-hitter that said as much about Houston’s pitching structure as it did about the box score.
At Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on May 25, 2026, Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa combined on the first no-hitter in the majors since Sept. 4, 2024. It was the first no-hitter of the 2026 season and the 18th in Astros franchise history, with Houston recording its 17th regular-season no-hitter and fourth combined no-hitter. The result fit a modern pattern: elite nights increasingly depend on coordinated innings, not just a starter finishing what he began.
Imai’s outing was not smooth from the outset. He walked three of his first four batters, but Houston escaped the first inning with a double play and never let the game slip away. Over six innings, Imai allowed no hits, no earned runs and struck out two, though he did issue four walks on 97 pitches. After the early trouble, he settled in and permitted only two of the next 17 batters he faced to reach base, enough to hand the game to the bullpen with the no-hit bid intact.
Okert took the seventh, and Santa handled the final two innings in his major league debut. Santa retired all six batters he faced and closed the game with a called third strike on Brandon Nimmo after an ABS challenge confirmed the pitch as a strike. That finish put Santa in unusual company: he became only the second pitcher in MLB history to appear in a no-hitter in his debut, joining Bumpus Jones on Oct. 15, 1892.
Houston also leaned on defense to keep the no-hitter alive. Jeremy Peña delivered a diving stop and throw in the third inning, a critical play that preserved the bid when Texas had a chance to break it up. The Rangers were no-hit for the sixth time in franchise history and have not thrown a no-hitter against Houston since Corey Kluber did it for the Yankees in 2021.
The final score will matter in the standings, but the larger takeaway is Houston’s ability to convert depth into history. A shaky start, a clean bridge and a debuting closer-like finish gave the Astros a rare milestone and a sharper look at how they can manufacture pitching results deep into the season.
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