05/26/26 12:17:00
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05/26 00:15 CDT Astros starter Tatsuya Imai and 2 relievers throw combined
no-hitter against Rangers
Astros starter Tatsuya Imai and 2 relievers throw combined no-hitter against
Rangers
By STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Baseball Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) --- The Houston Astros have pitched several combined
no-hitters --- even one in the World Series. This latest gem, however, might
have been the biggest surprise of all.
Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai threw six spotless innings after walking
three of the first four batters he faced Monday night. Steven Okert then got
three outs before Alimber Santa made his major league debut and fired two
perfect innings to complete the Astros' 17th regular-season no-hitter --- four
of them combined efforts --- in a 9-0 win over the Texas Rangers.
"The first inning, you never thought that this was going to be the outcome of
the game," manager Joe Espada said. "Imai, he continued to compete. ... He
continued to pound the zone, he fought through it. Six strong innings, and then
the rest is history."
It was the first no-hitter in the major leagues since Shota Imanaga and two
Chicago Cubs relievers combined for a 12-0 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 4,
2024. No pitcher has tossed a complete-game no-hitter since Blake Snell for the
San Francisco Giants against Cincinnati on Aug. 2, 2024.
The 23-year-old Santa became the first pitcher since 1900 to participate in a
no-hitter during his big league debut, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"Yeah, there was some adrenaline," Santa said through a translator. "I was
aware of the no-hitter, but I was just trying to calm myself down from the
bullpen."
Ronel Blanco tossed the previous no-hitter for the Astros in a 10-0 victory
over Toronto on April 1, 2024, which also marked Espada's first win as manager.
In fact, Houston has authored three of the past seven and five of the last 11
major league no-hitters --- including one in the 2022 World Series when four
pitchers combined against Philadelphia.
Okert worked the seventh after Imai got 16 outs over the last 16 batters he
faced. He benefited from a double play in the first, then settled into a groove
after issuing his third walk.
"During pregame, our focus was attacking the zone," Imai said through a
translator. "But in the first inning, I felt unbalanced, the timing was off.
But after that inning, I was able to adjust the timing, all the rhythm and
stuff."
Santa entered in the eighth and retired all six batters he faced. His 24th
pitch was a called third strike against Brandon Nimmo, ending the game with his
first career strikeout. That was confirmed after an ABS challenge by Nimmo of
the final pitch.
"I wasn't sure," Santa said, but catcher Christian Vzquez was already on the
mound telling him, "`Hey stud, that's a strike.'"
Texas was held without a hit for the sixth time, and third at home since moving
into Globe Life Field in 2020. The previous one was Corey Kluber's no-hitter
for the New York Yankees on May 19, 2021, about six weeks after San Diego
right-hander Joe Musgrove threw one in Texas for his hometown team on April 9.
These Rangers, hitting .232 with 201 runs through 53 games, have two of their
best players on the injured list in two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey
Seager (lower back inflammation) and outfielder Wyatt Langford (right forearm
strain). Plus, third baseman Josh Jung (.302 batting average) missed his second
game in a row because of left shoulder soreness.
"When you get no-hit, it's a team thing," first-year Texas manager Skip
Schumaker said. "It's not just the players who feel it, all of us feel it. ...
I have to find different ways to message on the offensive side to get this team
going, to get this offense going."
The Rangers struck out only four times, a night after whiffing 16 times in a
2-1 loss to the Angels.
Imai's fourth walk was to Nimmo leading off the fourth inning, but Ezequiel
Duran then grounded into a double play.
Imai (2-2) threw 57 of his 97 pitches for strikes. He struck out two.
The 28-year-old Imai, who said his only previous no-hitter came in middle
school, is in his first big league season after coming over from Japan. He was
1-2 with an 8.31 ERA in his first five starts for Houston.
Imai agreed in January to a $54 million, three-year contract. He was a
three-time All-Star during eight seasons in Japan, and went 10-5 with a 1.92
ERA last season for the Pacific League's Seibu Lions.
Joc Pederson was retired on a nifty play in the third when Astros shortstop
Jeremy Pea made a backhanded stop on a hard one-hopper and a twisting throw to
first. Justin Foscue and Danny Jansen had deep flyouts into the left-center gap
in the Texas fifth.
Okert walked Nimmo leading off the seventh before retiring the next three
batters.
___
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