Astros starter Tatsuya Imai and 2 relievers throw combined no-hitter against Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Houston Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai and relievers Steven Okert and Alimber Santa combined to throw a no-hitter in a 9-0 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

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.

Imai went six innings in the 17th regular-season no-hitter in Astros history and fourth that was a combined effort. Houston also threw a no-hitter 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 walked three of his first four batters but benefited from a double play in the first inning before settling into a groove.

Santa made his big league debut in the eighth and retired all six batters he faced. His 24th pitch was a called third strike against Brandon Nimmo that ended it after an ABS challenge by the batter was confirmed 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 threw 57 of his 97 pitches for strikes. He struck out two.

The 28-year-old Imai 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 the Astros.

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 Peña made a backhand stop and a twisting throw to first for the out. Justin Foscue and Danny Jansen had deep flyouts in the Texas fifth.

Okert walked Nimmo leading off the seventh before retiring the next three batters.

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Houston Astros pitcher Alimber Santa, right, is doused with water after pitching in his major league debut and closing a combined no-hitter by his team against the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Houston Astros pitcher Alimber Santa kisses the ball after he helped his team earn a combined no-hitter during his major league debut in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Houston Astros pitcher Alimber Santa gestures after pitching in his major league debut and closing a combined no-hitter by his team against the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai, center, celebrates with teammates, including pitcher Alimber Santa (72) and catcher Christian V·zquez, right, after the team combined for a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Houston Astros pitcher Alimber Santa, left, reacts with catcher Christian Vázquez after completing their team's combine no-hitter win over the Texas Rangers during a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai walks in the dugout after pitching to the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws to the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai throws to the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Authorities scrambling to find a safe resolution after a tank containing a hazardous chemical was damaged at a Southern California aerospace plant believe the risk of a catastrophic explosion has been eliminated and have lifted evacuation orders for about two-thirds of the 50,000 who were forced to leave their homes.

The storage tank at GKN Aerospace containing about 6,000 to 7,000 gallons (23,000 to 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate overheated last week in Garden Grove, a city in Orange County.

Officials have said the tank vented vapors as pressure and temperatures rose, but that monitoring has not detected hazardous chemical levels in the atmosphere. No injuries have been reported.

While officials said Monday that an overnight inspection confirmed a crack in the tank relieved pressure and cooled the chemical, they said some risk to public safety remained including a possible fire, spill or small explosion.

After the tank overheated Thursday, firefighters repeatedly sprayed it with water in an attempt to cool the chemical inside. Officials said Sunday that a crack that developed in the tank lowered the risk of an explosion.

Orange County Fire Authority division chief Craig Covey said a team that evaluated the tank overnight concluded that the temperature inside had dropped and pressure had been released. He called this “incredibly positive news.”

The tank’s interior reached 100 degrees (37.7 Celsius) Sunday, an increase of 10 degrees Fahrenheit (5.5 Celsius) since Saturday, according to Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg. On Monday, Covey said the temperature fell to 93 degrees F (33.9 degrees C).

Covey announced Monday night that the evacuation area had been greatly reduced and that many of the evacuees could return home.

Methyl methacrylate is a flammable, colorless liquid used in the production of resins, plastics and plastic dentures and is regulated by the federal government.

It can irritate the lungs, eyes and skin and in high doses can cause reduced lung function, along with dizziness and memory problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

In prolonged cases, exposure to methyl methacrylate can cause serious respiratory problems or render a person unconscious.

Tests have found that air pollution in the evacuation zone is within normal limits.

Officials have said the valves on the tank are broken or “gummed up,” which prevented crews from removing the chemical or relieving the pressure on the tank.

The facility specializes in the production of aircraft transparency systems, including cockpit windows, canopies and windshields. British company GKN Aerospace says on its website that its products are used by major commercial and military aircraft manufacturers worldwide.

The company apologized Monday for the “ongoing disruption this incident is causing,” saying in a statement that its specialists and the Orange County Fire Authority had removed external insulation material from the tank to help cool its contents.

If the temperature inside the tank climbed high enough, it would have caused pressure to build as the methyl methacrylate converted from a liquid to a gas, increasing the risk of explosion and possibly igniting other tanks.

A blast would release the chemical to a wider area and could create vapors that would be hazardous to inhale, according to Orange County's top health officer, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong.

Several evacuation shelters opened over the Memorial Day weekend to house the evacuees.

The evacuation zone was west of Anaheim, home to Disneyland’s two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders. Chinsio-Kwong said people outside the evacuation zone don't need to worry about health impacts.

Associated Press reporter Leah Willingham contributed to this report.

An American Red Cross volunteer walks outside Freedom Hall, an evacuation center in Fountain Valley, Calif.,on Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

People tend to their pets outside Freedom Hall, an evacuation center in Fountain Valley, Calif., on Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Evacuees gather their pets and belongings at the John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

The streets remain empty in Garden Grove, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026, after a storage tank containing a chemical used to make plastic parts overheated Thursday at an aerospace plastics facility. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Water is sprayed on a damaged tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026, after the tank containing a chemical used to make plastic parts overheated Thursday. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

An evacuee gather their pets and belongings at the John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Water is sprayed on a damaged tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026, after the tank containing a chemical used to make plastic parts overheated Thursday. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey speaks during a news conference at the Los Alamitos racetrack in Cypress, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026, about hazmat situation in Garden Grove, Calif. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

Firefighters work at the scene of a chemical tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Oscar Bello, who evacuated Anaheim with his pets, shows them off at the John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Water is sprayed on a tank that overheated at an aerospace plant in Garden Grove, Calif., Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)