How one feels about no-hitters is personal. It might be fair to say that they've lost a bit of their luster. And it's definitely fair to say that combined no-hitters don't quite hit the same as when a starter takes the ball and goes wire to wire. Yet it is slightly strange that one of the first impulses when a Major League Baseball team throws one is to seek out ways to diminish it. Because no matter how impressed or otherwise a fan is by the hitless feat, no-hitters remain remarkably rare.
The Astros captured just the 327th in MLB history on Monday night as Tatsuya Imai, Steven Okert and Alimber Santa combined to miss Rangers bats in a 9-0 victory. This is the first no-hitter since the Cubs combined for their own in 2024.
