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Alimber Santa had plenty of reason to be merry on Monday night.
The Houston Astros' right-handed pitcher was making his MLB debut, and while the scoreline was one-sided, he came in during a pressure-packed spot.
For seven innings, the Astros hadn't allowed a hit. It was Santa's job to get the final six outs.
He did it, completing a combined no-hitter.
Tatsuya Imai went the first six hitless innings. Steven Okert threw the seventh. And Santa finished the job.
“I was trying to calm myself down,” Santa said after the game, via MLB.com.
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There hadn't been a no-hitter in the entire 2025 MLB season, so the Astros broke that streak with this moment.
According to MLB.com, Santa is the second player to pitch in a no-hitter in his MLB debut. Bumpus Jones did it solo on Oct. 15, 1892 for the Cincinnati Reds.
“Proud of Santa,” Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters after the game. “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 finished off the game with a sweeper that struck out Rangers lefty Brandon Nimmo looking.
There was reason for the Astros to believe that Santa could be solid on the mound in the big leagues. He has a 1.42 ERA with a .159 opponent batting average at Triple-A Sugar Land so far in 2026.
He was actually called up a week earlier, but he didn't get into a game before being sent back down for a short stint.
After the wait, though, this worked out to be quite the debut for the 23-year old from the Dominican Republic.
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