Astros throw no-hitter vs. Rangers: Three pitchers combine for MLB's first no-no since 2024

Major League Baseball has its first no-hitter in 629 days. Tatsuya Imai and two Houston Astros relievers no-hit the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Monday night (HOU 9, TEX 0). It is baseball's first no-hitter since Shota Imanaga and two Chicago Cubs relievers no-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sept. 4, 2024. Last season was the first season without a no-hitter since 2005.

In a sign of the times, the final out of the no-hitter was a called strike three that the hitter, Brandon Nimmo, challenged to the automated balls and strikes system (ABS). The call stood and the no-hitter was complete. Here is the final out:

Imai was certainly not razor sharp early in Monday's game. He walked three batters in the first inning, but escaped with a double play and a fly out to center. Imai then settled down and retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced. He walked four and struck out two in six scoreless innings, and threw 97 pitches. It is by far Imai's best MLB start. He entered the game with a 8.31 ERA.

"We've been grinding, man," Astros manager Joe Espada said after the game. "The guys went out there and competed. In the first inning, I never thought that was going to be the outcome of the game. I tip my hat to Imai. He pitched. He continued to compete."  

Lefty Steven Okert replaced Imai and walked the leadoff man in the seventh inning, then sat down the next three hitters. Righty Alimber Santa retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings to finish the no-hitter. It was his MLB debut. Santa and Bumpus Jones, who threw a no-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds against the Pirates on Oct. 15, 1892, are the only players to make their MLB pitching debuts in a no-hitter.

"I don't know how to explain this, what I'm experiencing," Santa said after the game. "... Just warming up, I knew a no-hitter was going on. I was just focusing on throwing strikes and competing. I wasn't thinking about the no-hitter."

According to Statcat, Texas put just one ball in play Monday with better than a 50/50 chance of going for a hit based on the exit velocity and launch angle. That was Joc Pederson's ground out with one out in the third inning, which Jeremy Peña turned into an out with a tremendous play at shortstop:

The Rangers entered Monday's game ranked 20th with a .235 batting average, which wasn't too far below the .238 league average.

Only two other teams have taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning this season. Cleveland Guardians lefty Parker Messick lost a no-hitter leading off the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles on April 16, and Athletics righty J.T. Ginn lost a no-hit bid against the Los Angeles Angels leading off the ninth inning on May 19.

Monday was the 18th no-hitter in Astros history and the first since Ronel Blanco blanked the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1, 2024. Houston's 18 no-hitters are the most in baseball since they joined the league as an expansion team in 1962. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a distant second with 13 no-hitters during that time.

The Rangers have now been no-hit six times in their history. The last time was by Corey Kluber, then with the New York Yankees, on May 19, 2021. This was the third no-hitter at Globe Life Field, which opened in 2020. San Diego Padres righty Joe Musgrove threw the first on April 9, 2021. Kluber threw the second.

Yordan Alvarez provided Imai & Co. with the only run support they'd need with a first-inning sacrifice fly. He added a solo homer later in the game. The resurgent Christian Walker officially turned it into a laugher with a three-run homer in the seventh.

The win was Houston's fourth straight, though they remain near the bottom of the standings at 24-31. The Rangers dropped to 24-29. Monday was their fourth straight loss.