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05/25 22:41 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. This one might have been the biggest surprise. Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai threw six hitless 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 retired the final six hitters 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 fired two perfect innings to finish it and became the first pitcher since 1900 to play any role 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 --- beginning with 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 to end it for his first big league 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." The Rangers were held without a hit for the sixth time, the first since Corey Kluber threw a no-hitter against them for the New York Yankees on May 19, 2021. Imai's fourth walk of the night 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 joined the Astros in January after agreeing 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, striking out 178 in 163 2/3 innings. Rangers leadoff hitter Joc Pederson was retired on a nifty play in the third when shortstop Jeremy Pea made a backhand stop and a twisting throw to first for the out. 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. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb