A holly jolly debut! Santa helps deliver no-no in historic first foray
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ARLINGTON -- No one had more belief in Santa on Monday night than Astros manager Joe Espada.
With his club six outs away from finishing off the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues in nearly two years, Espada turned to right-handed reliever Alimber Santa, a 23-year-old Dominican who was making his Major League debut, to finish the job. Coming down the chimney on Christmas Eve is one thing; coming into a finish a no-hitter in your debut is a different kind of pressure.
“I was trying to calm myself down,” Santa said.
Santa retired all six batters he faced to combine with starter Tatsuya Imai (six innings) and lefty reliever Steven Okert (one inning) to throw the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues since Sept. 4, 2024, and the 18th in Astros history, including the postseason, in a 9-0 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field.
“Proud of Santa,” Espada said. “I think it’s a big night for him and his family. So proud of him. I’ve seen this kid for years, and just to have this moment is huge for the organization and for him.”
Santa began his outing by throwing a slider in the zone that Andrew McCutchen took for a strike. He continued to pound the zone from there, throwing 13 pitches in the eighth to retire McCutchen, Danny Jansen and Michael Helmen in order.
Santa didn’t have much time to prepare himself for the ninth, considering Rangers outfielder Sam Haggerty pitched the top of the ninth and threw only six pitches. Santa threw 11 pitches in the bottom of the frame -- the final pitch a sweeper that Brandon Nimmo watched for strike three (the call was upheld following a brief ABS challenge).
“Everything was under control in the bullpen,” he said. “I just felt some adrenaline, but I tried to calm down and remember to do what I’ve been doing in the Minor Leagues. I was aware of the no-hitter, but I was trying to stay calm.”
Santa had a 1.42 ERA, an .089 WHIP and a .159 opponents’ batting average in 18 appearances at Triple-A Sugar Land this season. He was called up prior to last weekend’s series sweep of the Cubs in Chicago, but didn’t get into a game at Wrigley Field.
Once the Astros opened up a 7-0 lead in the seventh inning on Monday, Espada used Okert in the seventh and decided to let Santa finish the game and rest some of his other key relievers.
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“Okert was up, so let’s get him through those lefties and let’s give Santa the end of the game, the last two innings,” Espada said. “In the back of your mind is the no-hitter, but you’re trying to win a game. You’re trying to preserve some of the assets for tomorrow and the rest of the week. But the kid came in, and that sweeper was sweeping, the fastball was sinking, and he looked like he pitched in the big leagues before. You're talking about a first impression, and that was an incredible first impression.”
Santa became the second player in Major League history to pitch in a no-hitter in his debut, according to Elias, joining Bumpus Jones of the Reds, who threw one by himself on Oct. 15, 1892. Santa kept the ball from the game’s final strike to Nimmo, which was delayed a beat when the batter challenged the call.
The Rangers checked twice, but Santa delivered -- from ho-ho to no-no.
“I’m a pitcher, I really don’t know the strike zone that well,” Santa joked. “I’m a little far from the zone, from home plate. [Catcher Christian] Vázquez came up to me and said, ‘Hey stud, that’s a strike.’”