Christmas came on Memorial Day for the Houston Astros, who completed the first no-hitter in two seasons. Alimber Santa froze Brandon Nimmo on a backdoor sweeper, which survived an ABS challenge, to complete the 18th no-hitter in franchise history.
The last no-hitter came on September 4, 2024, when Shota Imanaga, Nate Pearson, and Porter Hodge accomplished the deed for the Chicago Cubs. The last single-pitcher no-hitter was Blake Snell, who did it for the San Francisco Giants on August 2, 2024.
Tatsuya Imai, who entered this start with an 8.31 ERA on the season, kept the Rangers off the scoreboard and hit column for six innings. Steven Okert pitched around a walk in the seventh for a scoreless frame. That set the stage for Santa to make his MLB debut.
Alimber Santa Completes No-Hitter in MLB Debut
Typically, when a team calls a player up for the first time, they want to give him a soft landing for his MLB debut. Santa entered a game with a 9-0 lead, but with a no-hitter in progress. The pressure was more on him to not allow a hit rather than the score.
The right-hander was more than up to the challenge. Santa retired all six hitters he faced, with Nimmo serving as his first career strikeout. He spoke about it after the game as part of the Astros’ postgame coverage on their TV broadcast.
“When I was warming up, I knew a no-hitter was going on,” said Santa through a team interpreter. “But I was focusing on throwing strikes and competing. I wasn’t thinking about the no-hitter.”
Santa currently ranks as the No. 16 prospect in the Astros system on MLB Pipeline. He earned a promotion following a strong run in Triple-A Sugar Land, pitching to a 1.42 ERA in 18 appearances.
He features a four-seamer, slider, and sweeper combination. His fastball averaged 95.2 MPH, but he really leaned on the sweeper in this appearance.
Astros Throw 18th No-Hitter in Franchise History
No MLB franchise has more no-hitters than the Houston Astros. This game marked the 18th such occurrence in franchise history, and the fifth combined no-hitter.
The Astros also have the most recent postseason no-hitter. That came in a pivotal Game 4 of the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. It marked only the second no-hitter in World Series history, and gave Houston a commanding lead in a series they ultimately won in six games.
The win marks the fourth in a row for a Houston team struggling to stay afloat amidst a sea of injuries. The Astros have 13 players on the injured list entering play on May 25, with much of the damage coming in their starting lineup and starting rotation. The injuries have played a factor in their 24-31 start to 2026.
However, their recent streak has them closing on the pack for what appears to be a wide-open American League Wild Card race.
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