Former Red Sox Catcher Calls 2nd Career No-Hitter originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Christian Vazquez did it again. The former Boston Red Sox catcher called a no-hitter Monday in the Houston Astros’ 9-0 win over the Texas Rangers. Vazquez also caught a no-no for the Astros in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series.
On Monday, Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai walked four batters in six innings without giving up a hit. Left-hander Steven Okert threw a scoreless seventh inning, giving up one walk. Right-hander Alimber Santa made his major league debut and threw two perfect innings to close out the no-hitter.
“It wasn’t pretty but it was effective,” Astros manager Joe Espada said after the game, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. “We have a really good defense. Christian Vázquez again, he continues to press the right buttons and lead our staff.”
“It’s great to see all my pitchers be a part of the no-hitter. It is amazing,” Vazquez said after the game, per MLB.com.
Monday’s no-no holds a special spot in the record book. It was the first no-hitter in the majors since 2024 and it was the fifth combined no-hitter in Astros history. The Angels, Cubs and Orioles are tied for second all-time with two combined no-hitters each, according to ESPN.
In closing out the win, Santa became the second player in MLB history to pitch in a no-hitter when making his big-league debut, joining Bumpus Jones of the Cincinnati Reds, who threw a complete-game no-hitter in 1892, according to MLB.com and Elias.
“Good slider. He was commanding everything,” Vazquez said of Santa, who picked up one strikeout in his debut. “It was amazing to watch and happy for him.”
This is Vazquez’s second stint with the Astros. The Red Sox sent the backstop to Houston before the 2022 MLB trade deadline in the deal which landed Boston outfielder Wilyer Abreu. Vazquez joined the Twins as a free agent after the 2022 season and played three seasons in Minnesota before returning to Houston in March.
He’s hitting .257 with four home runs in 34 games this year for the Astros. Vazquez’s best year came in 2019 with the Red Sox, when he set career highs with 23 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .477 slugging percentage.