Astros' three pitchers combine for no-hitter in 9-0 shutout of Rangers

On a Monday night in late May, three Houston Astros pitchers wove together one of baseball's rarest tapestries — a combined no-hitter — silencing the Texas Rangers 9-0 and ending a nearly nine-month drought without such an achievement in the major leagues. Tatsuya Imai, a Japanese import fulfilling the promise of a $54 million investment, anchored the effort before handing the baton to relievers Steven Okert and Alimber Santa, the latter making his major league debut. In a sport that measures itself against its own long memory, Houston added a 17th chapter to its no-hit history, reminding us t