Astros 9, Rangers 0: Imai, Okert and Santa Combine on No-Hitter in Arlington

The lead

May 25, 2026 - Arlington - The Houston Astros pitched the first no-hitter of 2026—and their 17th in franchise history—as Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert, and Alimber Santa blanked the Texas Rangers 9-0 at Globe Life Field, with Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker homering, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

Santa retired all six batters he faced in his major league debut to complete the gem—the first pitcher since 1900 to participate in a no-hitter in his big-league debut, per MLB.com.

How the game turned

Jeremy Peña was hit by Kumar Rocker's first pitch, stole second, and scored on Alvarez's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead without a hit. Alvarez led off the fourth with his 16th homer for 2-0—his first multi-RBI stretch in 15 games.

Walker crushed a three-run shot off Peyton Gray in a five-run seventh that included an RBI single from Nick Allen. Houston's four-game winning streak is its longest since opening 2026.

Pitching and matchup notes

Imai (2-2) walked three of his first four batters, then retired 16 of his final 16 over six innings with two strikeouts. Okert handled the seventh; Santa struck out Brandon Nimmo looking on pitch 24 after an ABS challenge upheld the call.

Texas was held without a hit for the sixth time in franchise history and third at Globe Life Field.

AthX Engine graded Houston at 21 team FP—tied with Washington for the slate lead—with Alvarez, Peña, and Walker each at 8 hitting FP.

Bats that changed the board

Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI. Walker drove in three on his 15th homer. The Astros scored without a hit in the first and finished 10-for-33 against a Rangers staff that had no answer once Imai settled in.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

A combined no-hitter spreads pitching value across three arms rather than one 35 FP line, but 21 team FP still reflects the shutout and the offense's nine runs. Daily scoring remains separate from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter (1-4) faces the Astros on Tuesday, per AP probables.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, CBS Sports recap, MLB.com Astros, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*