History made on Memorial Day as Tatsuya Imai and the Astros combine for a no-hitter 
Who saw this coming after such a rough start? By issuing back-to-back walks to open the game, Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai looked destined for another long night. Then a visit from the pitching coach changed everything. The Houston Astros rolled past the Texas Rangers 9-0, finishing off the first no-hitter in Major League Baseball this season and the 18th in franchise history.
Tatsuya Imai looks every inch a star again
Under fire after a shaky start to the campaign following his three-year, $54 million deal this winter, Imai delivered the outing of his life at Globe Life Field. Mixing a nasty fastball with a biting slider, he shut out the Rangers over six hitless innings. Backed up by sharp defence, including a brilliant Jeremy Pena play at shortstop, the Houston pitcher retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced to drag his ERA down.
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Rookie Alimber Santa makes history on debut
After Steven Okert spun a perfect seventh inning, manager Joe Espada handed the ball to 23-year-old rookie Alimber Santa for his major league debut. The Dominican showed the poise of a veteran, getting the final six outs to seal the feat. Santa became only the second player in MLB history to pitch in a no-hitter in his first career appearance, joining Bumpus Jones in 1892.
Houston’s bats hammer Texas
While the pitchers locked the door, the Astros’ power hitters did the rest. Yordan Alvarez set the tone with his 16th homer of the season in the fourth inning, before Christian Walker slammed the door on the Rangers with a three-run shot in the seventh, his 15th of the year. With a fourth straight win, Houston is flying on the road and looking like a rotation that can do serious damage.
Credit: Ron Jenkins / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
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